"A Szigeti Veszedelem" and the Turkish Wars

Authors

  • Enikő Molnár Basa Library of Congress

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/ahea.2010.24

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.

Author Biography

Enikő Molnár Basa, Library of Congress

Enikő Molnár Basa received her Ph.D. in comparative literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She taught at universities in the Washington, DC area before accepting a position at the Library of Congress. She is a founder and currently Executive Director of the American Hungarian Educators Association, as well as an active member of the Southern Comparative Literature Association and the Modern Language Association, where she has served on the Board of the Hungarian Discussion Group. Her publications include Sándor Petőfi in the Twayne World Authors Series and articles in various journals. She is the editor of Hungarian Literature (Review of National Literature series) and is working on a book examining Hungarian literature in the context of political and social commitment.

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Published

2010-01-01

Issue

Section

General Articles