17th-Century Spanish Theater: Comedies, Courtly Plays, and Religious Dramas
17th-Century Spanish Theater
Types of Theater
Comedies
Performances took place in corrales de comedias, initially in courtyards. Stages were simple, with a ground floor entrance and three levels: a lower area, a balcony, and an upper area.
Courtly Theater
Alongside the corrales, courtly theater flourished, known for its spectacular productions held in palaces and other grand settings. The extravagance of these productions often contrasted with the declining imperial, military, and economic power of the time.
Religious Dramas (Autos Sacramentales)
These plays centered around the sacrament of the Eucharist, employing allegory and elaborate scenery. Key features include:
- Single-act structure
- Didactic and religious themes
- Connection to the Corpus Christi festival
- Allegorical expression
- Sumptuous scenery and music
- Mobile staging
- Church funding
Domestic Comedy
: It was created by Lope de Vega and developed until they are exhausted by other playwrights, among which Calderon de la Barca. Features: Mixing tragedy with me. Likelihood as in everyday life. The purpose of Lope is to make a work representative of Spain for the people. Agility prevailed, music, dynamism. Breaks the straight and do something totally new. The playwright used scene changes and time requirements depending on the plot, were passed through the curtain. Lope demanded a pure and chaste language with propriety. The metric is suited to the situation and character, this is turning polymetry or use a variety of meters and stanzas. Topics: honor and virtuous actions. Character: It is defined by their gender and social role, rather than his personality, lady, handsome, powerful (King, noble), old, funny maid. The National Comedy presents contemporary social conflicts. A large number of works presented conflicts of honor. Exalts the absolute monarchy. Allowing viewers to escape from everyday reality.
Dramas Types: There are two types of drama: a serious nature and other comic character. Works long: They followed the following order: Loa followed by a tone, the first act, appetizer, second act, dance or jácara third act and masquerade . Lasted between 2 to 3 hours. As the world is not easy street many ingredients of the show is destined to get silence. Works short: short dramatic pieces that used to appear interspersed in the representation of large works. Starters: Works humorous one-act play. Loas: introducing representation. Dance: Intermediate representation. Jácaras Romances sung. Mojigangas: Dances broken and ridiculous movements. Follas: Mixing without any order of short comic structures.Lope demanded a pure and chaste language with decorum (appropriateness of behavior and language of the characters to the convection of the paper) polymetry Metrics used as appropriate to the situation and the character. Themes: The honors and virtuous actions. The characters are defined by their gender and social role rather than by their personality (Dama, gallant, strong, old, funny and raised) The national comedy presents contemporary social conflicts. A large number of works presented conflicts of honor. Exalts the absolute monarchy. Allowed viewers to escape from everyday reality
Lope de Vega: created the national comedy. He was a prolific writer. His humble origins and scandalous life prevented him from becoming a playwright fixed by the court and get a sponsorship in this. Ovejuna Source: Reside in the invention of the collective character of the people who end injustice through rebellion and tyrannicide. There is a double action. Defend against the absolute monarchy commander. Confrontation between a man who abuses his power and people power sheepish. Men are subject to a woman leads them to act. The Knight of Olmedo: Based on a true story drama tragic loading dye. It employs the technique of the premonition and announcements of fatal outcome. L to dama boba: swashbuckling comedy for its urban setting and the abundance of comic devices. Peribáñez and the Commander of Ocaña