# Mr. Donne — Shirley character guide

> Mr. Donne in Shirley by Charlotte Brontë.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Donne, XV Mr. Donne

**First appearance:** 0006-vii-the-curates-at-tea

## Snapshot

A pompous, self-satisfied curate whose vanity and affectation make him the most ridiculous of the three clergymen haunting the neighbourhood.

## Who they are

Mr. Donne cultivates an air of refinement and importance that his circumstances and abilities do not support, and his fussy self-regard is a running joke among the local gentry. He is one of the trio of curates whose visitations and squabbles provide much of the novel's early comedy. His pretensions throw into relief the genuine worth of characters like Caroline and Shirley.

## Relationships

### [Caroline Helstone](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/shirley_se/characters/caroline_helstone)

_social_

Mr. Donne is a pompous curate who occasionally visits the Helstone home, and Caroline finds him tiresome.

### [Caroline Helstone](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/shirley_se/characters/caroline_helstone)

_social_

Mr. Donne is a pompous curate who occasionally visits the Helstone home, and Caroline finds him tiresome.

### [Caroline Helstone](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/shirley_se/characters/caroline_helstone)

_social_

Mr. Donne is a pompous curate who occasionally visits the Helstone home, and Caroline finds him tiresome.

## In the story

### [I: Levitical](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/shirley_se/chapters/i-levitical)

Curate of Whinbury, host of the dinner, described as meagre with a turned-up nose and a threadbare chocolate surtout.

### [The Curates at Tea](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/shirley_se/chapters/vii-the-curates-at-tea)

A curate who irritates Caroline with his constant abuse of Yorkshire and its people, provoking her sharp retorts.

### [XV: Mr. Donne's Exodus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/shirley_se/chapters/xv-mr-donne-s-exodus)

Visits with Malone, provokes Tartar, and rudely asks Shirley for a subscription to a school.

### [XVI: Whitsuntide](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/shirley_se/chapters/xvi-whitsuntide)

Donne appears sheepish after Shirley's earlier rebuke, unable to forgive or forget, and is assigned to lead the Whinbury contingent.

### [The Winding-Up](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/shirley_se/chapters/xxxvii-the-winding-up)

Marries a sensible woman, becomes an exemplary domestic character and active parish priest, known for begging skills.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/shirley_se/characters/mr_donne
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/shirley_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/shirley_se/characters