New Books in Middle Eastern Studies Sheiba Kian Kaufman, "Persian Paradigms in Early Modern English Drama" (Oxford UP, 2025)
Jan 8, 2026
Sheiba Kian Kaufman, an expert in Shakespeare and early modern English drama, dives into her new book exploring Persian influences in the genre. She discusses how English playwrights portrayed Persian monarchs as symbols of intercultural hospitality and cosmopolitan ideals. Kaufman highlights the concept of 'adab'—refinement and ethics—in shaping cultural representations and examines Persian characters in Shakespeare's works. She also reflects on how these themes foster discussions of tolerance and identity in early modern society.
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Hospitality As Analytical Lens
- Hospitality functions as both ethical theory and lived practice across cultures and religions in early modern drama.
- Sheiba Kian Kaufman argues hospitality gives a rich lens to read stage rituals, care, and interreligious encounters.
Persian Paradigms Beyond Orientalism
- Persian paradigms are analogical frameworks linking hospitality and toleration across texts, not just Orientalist representations.
- Kaufman traces transmission from Xenophon, travel writers, and biblical sources to show authentic Persian virtues in English drama.
Adab As Cultural Code
- Adab (refinement, manners, ethics) is a pervasive Persian social code that shaped how figures like Cyrus were imagined.
- Kaufman links adab to virtues performed on stage, showing cultural behaviors became dramatic paradigms.
