"Identity politics": dramatic genres, Shakespeare's plays, and the Butlerian framework

Abstract

Performativity, as defined by Judith Butler, is a means of analysis that focuses on the dynamic constitution of a subject, rather than focusing on the end result alone. The postperformative rut, into which criticism of drama has fallen, is best illustrated through critics reliance upon the unwieldy concept of genre which results in the unnecessary anaesthetising of dramatic works. This article sets out to demonstrate how, through engaging with Butlers framework of performativity, Shakespeares plays can be liberated from the theoretical stranglehold of genre. Through specific analysis of The Taming of the Shrew, The Merchant of Venice, and King Lear, this article interrogates the dominant critical uses of marriage as a generic feature, illustrating how simplistic notions of generic categorisation actually inhibit and restrict the plays development and inherent performativity. The relevance of applying the principles of performativity to the study of dramatic works results in a process of analysis centring more on characterisation and dramatic dynamism rather than on archaic notions of dramatic genres. Keywords: William Shakespeare; gender; dramatic genres; performativity; Judith Butler; The Merchant of Venice; The Taming of the Shrew; King Lear; taxonomies.