The story of Tamburlaine the Great, the conquering Scythian shepherd, (loosely

based on the life of the Central Asian emperor, Timur 'the lame') full of colorful
images of power and violence, brought a new kind of life to English theatre and
demonstrated the strength of blank verse in drama. It is a study of lust for power
and military achievement, presentation of a man slaughtering his way to world
mastery, convinced of his own invincibility. It is a play which ignores moral
considerations in order to show how impressive the combination of boundless
ambition, determination and self-confidence can be. The intoxication with power is
perhaps the main theme of Tamburlaine, but it seems that Tamburlaine doesn't show
much interest in the fruits of power, once he has attained it. Like Faustus, he has the
urge to reach beyond the limits of mortality. He has the need to conquer, with no
material objective in view.
Geography, use of exotic places, has a significant role, as we follow Tamburlaine in
his conquests. His opponents are shown as great and magnificent themselves so
that, once they're conquered, Tamburlaine can appear even greater.
As for the romantic part, his love for Zenocrate is presented in order that the claims
of beauty should be sounded in the same eloquent style that celebrates military
power and conquest.
The scenes which show Tamburlaine's power and cruelty in the greatest measure
must be the ones in which Bajazeth (Emperor of the Turks) and his wife are kept like
beasts in a cage, and when Tamburlaine uses Bajazeth as a footstool.
In the first scenes Tamburlaine is described by the King of Persia, Mycetes, in
Machiavellian terms as a fox in the midst of harvest-time/Doth prey upon my flocks
of passengers, creating the impression that Tamburlaine is a brave, resourceful and
a military leader. This description puts in contrast the failings of the weak king
Mycetes.
The prevalent belief at the time was that the ruler of the State should be divinely
appointed by God; however Tamburlaine rises to great power in spite of his lowly
birth and being described as peasant ignorant by the Soldan of Egypt. Tamburlaine
seemingly challenges the Great Chain of Being by rising to power from the lowly
status of a shepherd. According to Tamburlaine his birth is no impediment to his
fame since only power determines ones worth and achievement.
It is important to note that Marlowes Doctor Faustus is Tamburlaine on intellectual
level, only differing in the direction of his ambition, but with the same main goal
power.