15th-Century Spanish Literature: Prose and Theater
Didactic Prose in 15th-Century Spain
Fifteenth-century didactic prose continued the storytelling tradition, drawing influence from 13th-century Eastern sources, as well as classical and medieval Latin works. Collections of didactic and moralizing apologies, such as Talavera, better known as El Corbacho by Alfonso Martínez de Toledo, are prime examples. El Corbacho is known for its anti-feminist themes, reminiscent of Boccaccio’s On Earthly Love. It’s a work full of beads and stories reflecting everyday life, using a cartoonish and realistic technique. Its greatest merit lies in the lush language, contrasting with the artificial language of the time, and the grace of satire and bustling human types. It is divided into four parts:
- Dedicated to the disapproval of mad love. It reviews the spiritual and physical problems arising from lust, concluding that man owes only divine love.
- Addresses the love of the vices and bad conditions of poor women. It portrays various female types: greedy, envious, false, and critical.
- Focuses on men and their diversions blamed on women.
- Contains a theological struggle in favor of free will.
Humanist Prose
Antonio de Nebrija published his Grammar of the Spanish Language in 1492, one of the most important works of the period. In its five parts, it addresses issues related to spelling, accentuation and meter, etymology, diction, morphology, and syntax. It reflects the pre-Renaissance valuation of Romance languages. It establishes a close connection between the political consciousness of a people and their linguistic tool, stating that language is always the companion of empire.
Theater: General Characteristics
Religious theater was born from representations linked to liturgy. The works are grouped into two cycles:
- A. Christmas
- B. The Passion and Death of Jesus
The first performances took place with very simple artistry. Later, they moved outdoors, requiring a stage placed on a pedestal, either fixed or mounted on carts. The increasingly secular attitudes of actors led to the prohibition of theater in churches. Very little of the medieval drama before the 15th century is preserved. Special mention should be made of the representation of The Order of the Magi from the 13th century, found in Toledo. The author may have been a Catalan or Basque poet. This biblical work develops a very simple plot but with some dramatic skill. Only 147 polymetric lines (of different sizes) are preserved, forming 5 short scenes. The most important aspect is the characterization, presented with great ease.
Secular Theater: Origins and Authors
The most important features of secular theater can be traced to paratheatrical elements or phenomena:
- A. At medieval parties
- B. In the actual carnival entries
In the 14th century, theater emancipated from liturgical drama to be represented outside churches and in town squares. Pantomimes, known as momos, were paratheatrical manifestations. They originated in the carnival and were representations made with masks and disguises, only later becoming dialogues. Small pieces of dialogue can be found in poetic works such as:
- Dialogue of the Old Era
- Beautiful Love and Love
- Dialogue Couplets of Old Puertocarrero
In addition to these pieces, there is also poetic drama, allegory, and pastoral. An example of this is Eclogue Vascalón Mill. Secular theater is characterized by the figure of the shepherd with vernacular language, contrasting with the cult of religious plays.