Ever since their rediscovery in the 1920s, John Donne's writings have been praised for their energy, vigour and drama - yet so far, no attempt has been made to approach and define systematically these major characteristics of his work.

Drawing on J. L. Austin's speech act theory, Margret Fetzer's comparative reading of Donne's poetry and prose eschews questions of personal or religious sincerity and instead recreates an image of John Donne as a man of many performances. No matter if engaged in the writing of a sermon or a piece of erotic poetry, Donne placed enormous trust in what words could do. Questions as to how saying something may actually bring about that very thing, or how playing the part of someone else affects an actor's identity, are central to Donne's oeuvre - and moreover highly relevant in the cultural and theological contexts of the early modern period in general.

In treating both canonical and lesser known Donne texts, John Donne's Performances hopes to make a significant contribution not only to Donne criticism and research into early modern culture: by using concepts of performance and performativity as its major theoretical backdrop, it aims to establish an interdisciplinary link with the field of performance studies.

About the Author
Margret Fetzer was Assistant Professor of English Literature at the University of Munich, Germany

Reviews

'a valuable and original contribution to early modern studies'
Syrithe Pugh, Zeitschrift fur Anglistik und Amerikanistik, 60.4 (2012)

-- .



Book Information
ISBN 9780719095610
Author Margret Fetzer
Format Paperback
Page Count 332
Imprint Manchester University Press
Publisher Manchester University Press
Weight(grams) 417g
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 138mm * 19mm