The Portrayal of Saladin in Sir Walter Scott’s The Talisman 1825

Abstract

Wealth, prosperity and power of Islamic states during the eleventh century led to the rise of expansionism. This created a crash with the Christians resulting what is known as the Holy Wars or the Crusades. The influence of Islamic civilization is clearly reflected in English writings. Many writes used the orient and oriental themes to attract the audience. Sir Walter Scott is one of English writers who had shown great interest in the crusades, medieval themes and the orient. His historical novel The Talisman 1825 written during the nineteenth century is one of his greatest works. Scott brought a different image of the Orient presented by his character Salah ed Din known as Saladin to Westerners. The aim of the study is to examine and analyze Sir Walter Scott’s portrayal of the character of Saladin in The Talisman. The researcher linked between historical, literary, descriptive and analytical approach in the study of the topic. At the end of the research, the investigator came to the conclusion that Scott’s portrayal of Saladin was positive where Scott praised Saladin’s generosity and courage and his well presentation of the Islamic values.