"A Szigeti Veszedelem" and the Turkish Wars

Abstract

Miklós Zrínyi’s epic poem recounts history with a particular slant, presenting the events of the Turkish defeat at Szigetvár in 1566 as a fight between the forces of good and evil. He uses epic conventions to present a tale of a clash between the Turks and the Hungarians. While on the surface the Hungarians seem to be defeated, the real victory lies with them: militarily, the Turks withdraw; the resistance of the fort has stopped their advance to Vienna and the West; politically, the resistance of the Hungarian nobility is a noble goal which ensures the continued existence of the nation; morally, the Christians triumph over the forces of evil represented by the Turks.