Karagöz

(Turkish; literally, black-eyed). (1) A character of the Turkish shadow theater, an embodiment of folk humor and native wit.

(2) A puppet theater in Turkey, whose name derives from the chief protagonist of the plays—Karagöz. Arising in the 16th century, the theater’s cast of characters included Karagöz’s partner Khadzhi-Vada, the townspeople, the Anatolian peasants, and the roguish dervish. Sometimes the Karagöz plays reflected the discontent of the masses with the government and the existing system.