ABSTRACT
According to the dictates of the 'ideal general' literature examined so far, Marlowe's Tamburlaine appears on the stage and in print during the course of the 1590s150 as a problematic figure of command. The mood of triumphalism in the first part of the play allows Tamburlaine, having won for himself the crown of Persia, famously to reward his followers Theridimas, Techelles and Usumcasane respectively with the lesser kingdoms of Parthia, Scythia and Media without suffering any of the disadvantages that Northumberland and the manual writers warn against in their advice to generals not to give preferments to relatives and friends. With each victory comes an additional crown; when Bajazeth the Emperor of the Turks is overcome, Tamburlaine consolidates his victory by bestowing upon his friends three more kingships:
Tamburlaine: Now, king of bassoes, who is conqueror? Bajazeth: Thou, by the fortune of this damned foil. Tamburlaine: Where are your stout contributory kings?
