The Sultan’s
Dilemma
Tawfiq al-Hakim 1898-1987
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The greatest literary figure in
Egyptian history
Wrote more than 70 plays
along with novels and criticism
Worked with almost no Islamic
dramatic tradition
Worked with a very minimal
Egyptian literary tradition
Worked with an incredibly rich
Egyptian historical and cultural
tradition
Used Western dramatic models
to explore Egyptian themes
Egypt is the World’s Oldest Civilization
3500 BCE to the Present
Ancient Egypt
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First civilization to
develop writing
Preserved through
very elaborate death
rituals
Deeply connected to
the notion of justice
Invented the use of
scales as images of
justice and law
Roman Egypt
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Major ally of Rome
Cleopatra was connected
to both Caesar and Marc
Anthony
Part of the Roman cultural
and literary world during
the life of the Empire
The Islamic Empire
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Cairo was second only
to Baghdad as the
culture center of the
Islamic world
Strong Koranic
tradition
Part of the tradition of
Islamic literature in
Arabic and Persian
Center for the study of
Islamic Law.
Colonial Egypt
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From 1882-1947 Egypt
was a British colony
Egypt established legal
and governmental
infrastructure
Infusion of Western
democratic ideals
Al-Hakim was a
Western-trained
attorney and public
prosecutor
Joseph and Zulekha
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Old Testament story of
Potipher’s Wife
Also a chapter in the
Q’ran
Joseph was a slave
who became a ruler
He was tempted by a
Zulekha to betray his
master
By resisting the
temptation, he qualified
for his ultimate reward
1001 Arabian Nights
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The most important
popular text in the
Islamic tradition
Tells the story of a
ruler who takes a
foolish vow
Scheherazade is a
wise and creative
woman who redeems
the ruler from his
foolishness
A Meditation on Law
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Civil Law—the laws governing the
rights of slaves and citizens.
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Religious Law—The requirement to
issue a call to prayer every morning.
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Natural Law—The difference between
night and day.