Renaissance Self-fashioning

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One of the most influential works of Post-modernist lit crit - Rated
This is the first work of literary criticism to proclaim itself New Historicist, a term that encompases the rather heterogenous body of interdisciplinary lit crit that has achieved hegemony in academia from the publication of this book till today. This particular work is a study of the construction and formation of the selves or identities of six major literary figures of the English Renaissance. Using the literary works of More, Tynedale, Wyatt, Spenser, Marlowe, and Shakespeare as springboards, as well as other works of art, anecdotes, and historical narratives to expound his theories, Greenblatt really shows off his erudition. He not only convincingly demonstrates his theory that the formation of our identities is not as conscious a process as we would like to believe, but that history can be read and analysed like a literary text.

The criticism is highly theoretical, drawing heavily on Post-structuralism, especially Derrida and Foucault, and Feminist theories on identity, with a dash of Marx and Nietzsche for good measure. It also innovatively blurs the traditional boundaries between humanities subjects, drawing on history and psychology, showing Greenblatt's penchant for "Cultural Poetics" (cultural studies). Literature students will find this book immensely useful, whether you are interested in Renaissance studies, New Historicism, or just want to sound clever. This is a core text of Post-modernist lit crit (and probably my favourite critical work), and is also a fascinating read, like a story of the Renaissance. Greenblatt is also one of the most important and conscientious figures in literary academia, and an outspoken advocate of the worth of literary studies in this grey age of science and technology.