Irene - a play by Samuel Johnson
Irene is a Neoclassical tragedy written between 1726 and 1749 by Samuel Johnson. Johnson's main source for the story of Irene was Richard Knolles's Generall Historie of the Turkes (1603). In Knolles's work, the Sultan Mahomet conquers Constantinople in 1453 and captures a Greek Christian named Irene. He decides to take her as his mistress, and while pursuing her romantically he ignores his duties as a monarch. Soon, the kingdom is falling apart from neglect and the subjects begin to riot, so Mahomet kills Irene to prove his dedication to his people (as depicted here)
Picture No
11939325
Media ID
46680578
Size
3321px x 5703px
(6.7MB)
Credit
Mary Evans / Grenville Collins Postcard Collection
Source
Engraved by Grignion after a drawing by Wale for Middleton's Complete System of Geography
Date
circa 1730
