Books by Jody Enders

Was a convicted criminal executed on stage during a beheading scene? Was an unfortunate actor driven insane while playing a madman? Did a theatrical enactment of a crucifixion result in a real one? Did an androgynous young man seduce a priest when portraying a female saint? Death by Drama answers these and other questions while presenting a.

Drawing on four medieval events in which a theatrical performance precipitated deadly consequences, this book contends that the marginalization of intention in critical discourse is a mirror for the marginalization - and misunderstanding - of theater.

Why did medieval dramatists weave so many scenes of torture into their plays? Exploring the cultural connections among rhetoric, law, drama, literary creation, and violence, Jody Enders addresses an issue that has long troubled students of the Middle...