FROM ORMUS AND IND TO THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ: LINGUISTICCONSTRUCTIONS OF WEALTH, POWER, AND CONFLICT FROM MILTON TOMODERN U.S.–IRAN DISCOURSE

Abstract

Linguistic representations of wealth, power, and geopolitical conflict have historically shaped perceptions of the
East. For example, while Milton’s Paradise Lost constructs Eastern wealth through the imagery of Ormus and
Ind, contemporary U.S.–Iran discourse frames the Strait of Hormuz as a strategic geopolitical site. However,
despite the historical and political significance, limited research examines how language bridges early modern
literary imagination and modern political narratives. Therefore, this study aims to investigate how language
constructs ideas of wealth, power, and conflict across historical and contemporary contexts. Specifically, it
compares Milton’s literary discourse with modern political and media narratives surrounding the Strait of
Hormuz. Moreover, the study is grounded in postcolonial theory (Said), discourse-power theory (Foucault), and
Critical Discourse Analysis (Fairclough), which collectively inform the interpretation of ideological meanings
embedded in linguistic representations of empire, wealth, and strategic control. In addition, a qualitative
interpretive approach is adopted, employing a comparative design. Thus, purposively sampled texts include key
passages from Paradise Lost and selected political speeches, policy statements, and media narratives about U.S.–
Iran tensions. Data are analyzed using Critical Discourse Analysis combined with thematic coding, focusing on
wealth representation, imperial power, geopolitical strategy, Orientalist representation, and discursive
transformation. Consequently, the study reveals that early modern literary constructions of Eastern wealth persist
in contemporary discourse, and are transformed into narratives emphasizing strategic control, security, and
geopolitical rivalry. Furthermore, metaphors, lexical choices, and narrative framing link historical literary
imagination with modern political rhetoric. In brief, linguistic constructions of wealth and power are central to
shaping both cultural imagination and geopolitical perception. Finally, future research should include
multilingual sources and expand to media discourses from regional perspectives in order to provide a more
comprehensive understanding of Gulf geopolitics.