Zaïre (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Voltaire
- First Published: 1733
- Type of Work: Play
- Type of Plot: Tragedy
- Time of Work: During the reign of Osman, Sultan of Jerusalem
- Setting: Jerusalem
- Genres: Drama, Tragedy
- Subjects: Love or romance, Slavery or slaves, Islam, Jealousy, envy, or resentment, Christianity, Kings, queens, or royalty, Middle East, Knights or knighthood, Jerusalem, Honor, Turkey or Turkish people
- Locales: Jerusalem
Characters Discussed
Zaïre (zah-EER), a slave of the sultan Orosmane, captured in infancy. Zaïre finds that she can love the Muslim ruler in spite of his religion. She discovers, however, that the Christian leader, Lusignan, is her father and Nerestan is her brother. She then vows to become a Christian and, counseled by her brother, postpones her nuptials. Torn between her love for Orosmane and her loyalty to her family, Zaïre goes to meet her brother and is killed by the jealous Orosmane.
Nerestan (nay-reh-STAH[N]), Zaïre’s brother. A prisoner of the Muslims since...
[The entire page is 580 words long]
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