Fifth Issue

The popularity of Turkish Karagoz performances coincides with the rise in
popularity of coffee houses, which Islamic officials condemned, but the poorest classes
filled them.
Most Karagoz plays center around the action of two friends,
the poor and brash Karagoz, who always dreams of ways to
get rich or to charm beautiful women, and the educated and
elegant Hacivat. The plays follow a specific structure: a
prologue blessing the Sultan, a dialogue of Karagoz and of
another important character, causing an absurd situation,
which is the main action of the play, a denouement,
involving Karagoz beating his friend, Hacivat, and an
epilogue.
The show was performed by a single puppeteer, who manipulated the
puppets and voiced all the dialogue, while a singer and a tampourine player were
playing music in the background. It is highly impressive that there were no scripts,
and the puppeteer had to count on his memory and improvisational skills.
Karagoz shows were especially popular during Ramadan, the Islamic month
of fasting, throughout which Muslims refrain from food, drink and sexual activities,
from sunrise till sunset, and after sunset feasts are held in coffee houses, where
audiences interested in the political satire and the sexual humor could enjoy a
Karagoz show – different for every night of the Ramadan.
Deprived from any heroic or noble element, Karagoz performances provided
a carnivalistic atmosphere, as the show was associated with the three major themes
of Carnival, real and symbolic: food, sex and violence. Apart from the association
with food, which is obvious, since the show coincided with the nighttime Ramadan feasts,
sex and violence were often presented in the show, but in a way that was out of the norms
14