A NEW HISTORICIST PERSPECTIVE OF JOHN DAY, WILLIAM ROWLEY AND GEORGE WILKINS’ THE TRAVAILES OF THE THREE ENGLISH BROTHERS

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Abdul Ghaffar Bhatti, et al.

Abstract

This paper undertakes the application of new historicist assumptions to John Day, William Rowley and George Wilkins’ collaborative play The Travailes of The Three English Brothers. It is argued that the playwrights have deliberately misrepresented the Orient and Oriental characters in the play, whiledepicting the three English brothers as gentlemen and heroes under the influence of the dominant ideology of the period.In this way, they have portrayed the gradual cultural and religious superiority that culminates in the Christianization of Persia at the end of the play. Hence, the play can be perceived as a propaganda play. The playwrights have used this drama as an ideological tool to serve their specific purposes.This becomes clear when we compare the overlapping discourses related to the Sherley brothers with the conflicting discourses. Although the overlapping discourses related to the Sherley brothers seem to shower graces on the three brothers, the conflicting discourses reveal a different story and expose the sham and spurious reality which cloaks these characters.For the purpose of this investigation, the researchers have applied the new historicist assumptions characterized by the use of anecdote, historicity of text and textuality of history, construction of identity anddiscourse and power relations. From this vantage point, this paper interrogates the existing traditional criticism, thus proffering a new lenswhereby to interpret the play.

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