چکیده (انگلیسی):

The Indian Prophet is a stereotypical character in American plays of the first half of
the nineteenth century. He systematically appears in plays featuring Native
Americans ; there is a common pattern in his characterization, and this
characterization differs significantly from those of other stage Indians. The Indian
Prophet is invariably portrayed as “false”; he uses his spiritual influence to lead his
tribesmen into a deadlock and betray them at the crucial moment. The Prophet has
a historic prototype – the Indian spiritual leaders who headed native revitalization
movements in the first half of the nineteenth century. Their influence at times
became a major concern for the U.S. government who fought it both by force and
by allegations; in this connection, a new negative stereotype of the American Indian
– the Indian Prophet – appeared in the theatre. Given the fact that plays about
American Indians were widely popular in the United States for about fifty years, the
significance of the character becomes clear: it spread a negative message about
individuals who posed a threat to the success of Euro-American colonization.