NUML Journal of Critical Inquiry Vol 17 (I) June, 2019 ISSN 2222-5706 39 A New Historicist Perspective of John Denham’s The Sophy and Robert Baron’s Mirza Abdul Ghaffar Bhatti Assistant Professor, Department of English, University of Education, Lahore, Multan Campus Dr. Munawar Iqbal Ahmad Professor / Chair, Department of English, Air University, Islamabad Abstract The present paper attempts the application of new historicist perspectives to John Denham’s play The Sophy and Robert Baron’s play Mirza. Both the plays have been analyzed together due to elements of similarity in theme, plot and source. The playwrights have used these plays as oblique commentaries on the socio-historical and political conditions of the period but at the same time these plays also embody deeper meanings beyond the topical and national references. These plays may well be viewed as reinforcing the notion of cultural hegemony of the West and thereby representing the psychological divide between the Occident and Orient. The researchers contend that both Denham and Baron have misrepresented the Orient and Oriental characters in their plays since most of the characters have been represented as cultural stereotypes. The research paper aims to find out as to how both the plays support the dominant ideology of the period which was to misrepresent the Oriental characters. Both the plays have been explicated in the light of some of the key aspects of New Historicism. Keywords: New Historicism, misrepresentation, Orient, cultural stereotypes, dominant ideology, discourse Introduction The paper starts with the brief introduction of some of the key terms introduced in this study. Then it offers the concept of new historicism and aims of this study. The middle section provides a new historicist analysis of the two plays in which the researchers have explicated the plays in the light of new historicist assumptions such as use of anecdote, historicity of text, and textuality of history, and discourse and power relations. The analysis section leads to the conclusion where the researchers opine that the selected plays support the dominant ideology of the period. Both Denham’s The Sophy and Baron’s Mirza deal with the story of King of Persia, Shah Abbas, Prince Mirza, Abbas’ son, and Sophy, Abbas’ grandson. The plays focus how Shah Abbas, the sensual and tyrannical despot, imprisons and blinds his own son Mirza to prolong his regime.