Acknowledgments Introduction History Research objectives The texts. The image of the Turk Approach and method Contemporaneity Commonplaces Structure Note on terminology, transcription and translation 1. The news of Osman’s fall Introduction The sources The commonplaces The The Enemy The Barbarian Divine intervention Disorder  Conclusion 2.  The poets Introduction Denis Coppée Abraham Kemp Ivan Tomko MrnavićIvan GundulićDede Ağa Conclusion 3. Osman in the Low Countries: history plays by Kemp and Coppée Introduction The plays Coppée’s Deplorable Assassination Kemp’s Tragedy Far from the Turks Coppée and the Ottomans A poor little prince A contrast Kemp and the Ottomans Better loved than feared A future Conclusion. 4.  Better the devil you know? Gundulić and Mrnavić on the fall of Osman II Introduction The texts Ivan Tomko Mrnavić’s Osmanschica. Ivan Gundulić’s Osman Close to the Turk A tyrant, or an incapable prince Mrnavić and Osman Gundulić and Osman A Battle of the opposites Conclusion 5.  Dede Ağa and the two sultans Introduction The padishah is dead… …long live the padishah! The old élite Conclusion ConclusionBibliographyIndex.