ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses that following the formation of the Barbary Company in 1585, several delegations of Moorish ambassadors came to London to negotiate trade and diplomatic agreements. Then the fictional kings of Morocco, flamboyant figures crafted for the audience's enjoyment appeared on London stages. To George Tomson the King of Morocco was a besieged monarch, struggling against the common enemy Spain and looking for Elizabeth's support. His religion, dietary customs, and manner of living were not the issue. Morocco's language, often played for laughs, also suggests the decorous and inflated language of diplomacy. As the Oxford editor notes, 'Morocco's style is replete with metaphors and conceits'. In both of Morocco's appearances, the dramatist signifies his dignity as a visitor to a European court: an entourage, the flourish of cornets, and stately discourse. In Heywood's world, where God is certainly an Englishman, the King of Morocco is educable.
