16th Century Spanish Literature and Culture: Renaissance
Society and Culture of the 16th Century
- On the political side, states consolidated their power.
- In the religious sphere, the Reformation and Protestant movements emerged, driven by Martin Luther and John Calvin. The Church attempted to address this with the Counter-Reformation, but its division into Catholics and Protestants was inevitable.
In Spain, the unification of the medieval kingdoms took place during the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella, a period of splendor marked by the discovery of America. Spain emerged as an international power in Europe, experiencing a flourishing of arts and culture. The Spanish language was studied in various parts of Europe and spread to America through colonization. Spanish culture not only expanded but also embraced the influence of the Italian Renaissance. The reign of Philip II saw the initiation of the Catholic Counter-Reformation.
The Inquisition aimed to suppress the dissemination of ideas that deviated from Catholic doctrine. In Spain, its actions effectively eradicated the existing religious and cultural plurality. Social prejudice arose, discrediting those who couldn’t prove they had no Jewish or Muslim ancestors, a prerequisite to be considered an Old Christian.
16th Century Literature
The 16th century marked the beginning of the Golden Age, linked to the stabilization and prestige of the Spanish language. Basic grammar was consolidated, and graphical settings were introduced. The Castilian language was fully formed, growing in prestige and becoming a suitable medium for literary expression.
The influence of the Italian Renaissance reached its peak with the work of Garcilaso de la Vega.
Features of Spanish Literature:
- Nature and classical mythology became prominent themes, but the most important was love.
- In poetry, the triolet and the sonnet were consolidated, along with the use of iambic pentameter.
- The ideal style was based on the pursuit of elegance, understood as simplicity and balance.
Introduction of New Themes:
- Religious issues led to the emergence of mystical poetry.
- A realistic and critical narrative trend, known as picaresque, emerged.
The Renaissance Lyric
Notable figures include Garcilaso de la Vega, Fray Luis de León, and San Juan de la Cruz.
Subjects and Methods
The major Renaissance themes were love, nature, and classical myths.
- Love was approached from the perspective of Petrarch, meaning in an idealized way.
- Nature was presented as an idyllic setting for expressing feelings of love.
- The presence of classical myths was very common.
The sonnet is a poem of fourteen lines in iambic pentameter, divided into two quatrains and two tercets. (Garcilaso de la Vega)
The triolet is a stanza of three lines of high art.
The lira is a five-line stanza (two heptasyllabic and three hendecasyllabic lines) with the rhyme scheme aBabB. (Fray Luis de León, San Juan de la Cruz).
Garcilaso de la Vega
Romantic and mythological themes were prominent in his work.
The eclogue is a poem of variable length in which shepherds converse about their love stories. Their conversations always take place in nature, within an idealized space.
Eclogues are composed of stanzas.
The Sonnets
Sonnets are Garcilaso’s most popular compositions. They address the theme of love and unconditional devotion to an unattainable woman.
There are allusions to classical mythology and the exaltation of beauty and youth.
Renaissance Prose
- Non-fiction aimed to gather historical records, scientific or philosophical studies, teachings, etc. Its purpose was practical.
- The novel contained stories of knights-errant, love, adventure, etc. It had literary and recreational purposes.
Religious Poetry
There are two streams of literature: the ascetic and the mystic.
- The ascetic stage (Fray Luis de León) is a phase of purification and renunciation of all material things, a necessary preparation for the subsequent encounter with God. The literary expression of this process leads to ascetic poetry.
- The mystical state (San Juan de la Cruz) is a joyful moment that culminates the process and achieves the desired goal. This sentiment is expressed in literature through mystical poetry.
Renaissance Prose
- Non-fiction, designed to gather historical records, scientific or philosophical studies, teachings, etc. Its aim is practical.
- The novel contains stories of knights-errant, love, adventure, etc. It has literary and recreational purposes.
Narrative Prose
We must mention the history of India, citing Fray Bartolomé de las Casas and Fray Bernardino de Sahagún.
In religious prose, Saint Teresa of Avila stands out, along with Dialogue of Language by Juan de Valdés.
Novel
Narrative Forms:
- The pastoral novel, with a love theme, contains stories whose protagonists are idealized shepherds.
- The picaresque novel focuses on the adventures of a marginalized hero and portrays their environment realistically. This trend originates with Lazarillo de Tormes.
The Birth of the Picaresque Novel: Lazarillo de Tormes
The picaresque novel has the following features:
- It is always written in autobiographical form, meaning in the first person.
- The protagonist is a rogue, always from a lower social class.
- The protagonist’s environment is always a hostile society. This environment is described with realism and a critical nature.
Renaissance Theatre
By the mid-16th century, there was a significant development as the first acting companies emerged, and plays began to be performed on improvised stages in public spaces or comedy theaters.
Authors such as Bartolomé Torres Naharro, Gil Vicente, and Lope de Rueda gained prominence.
The works of Torres Naharro (e.g., Soldiers) and Gil Vicente (e.g., Amadis) expanded the possibilities of contemporary theater: multiplying the themes and complicating the action.
Lope de Rueda is the most representative author of this era. In addition to writing his plays, he directed and acted in them. He founded an acting company and toured the country with it. His play The Deluded is particularly noteworthy.
His work includes several plays and short pieces called pasos. With these pasos, Lope de Rueda drew inspiration from popular culture and the humor of everyday life. Notable examples include The Guest, The Cowardly Ruffian, and Olives.