The Sophy
1641 revenge tragedy by Sir John Denham
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The Sophy is a revenge tragedy in blank verse written by Sir John Denham and first acted in 1641.
| The Sophy | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Sir John Denham |
| Date premiered | 1641 |
| Genre | Revenge tragedy |
Characters
- Abbas, King of Persia.
- Mirza, the Prince, his Son.
- Erythæa, the Princess, his Wife.
- Enemies to the Prince:
- Haly, the King's Favourite.
- Mirvan, Haly's Confident.
- Two Lords, Friends to the Prince:
- Abdall,
- Morat,
- Caliph.
- Solyman, a foolish Courtier.
- Soffy, the Prince his Son, now King of Persia.
- Fatyma, his Daughter.
- 2 Turkish Bashaw(e)s.
- 3 Captains.
- 2 Women.
- Physician,
- Tormentors.
Background
"In 1642 he broke out", as Denham's contemporary Edmund Waller remarks of him, "like the Irish Rebellion, threescore thousand strong, when nobody was aware, or in the least suspected it", in the play of the Sophy.[1]
Source
Denham's source is Sir Thomas Herbert's account of the life of Abbas the Great of Persia in Some Yeares Travels into Divers Parts of Asia and Afrique, first published in 1634.[2]
Synopsis
A father suspecting and plotting against a dear and noble son; a son deprived of sight by the command of a father, and meditating in his rage and revenge the murder of his own favourite daughter, because she is beloved by his father; and the deaths of both son and father by poison, administered through means of a courtier who has betrayed both. Such are the main hinges on which the plot of the piece turns.[3]