Introduction to Literary Genres
Theater
Definition
Theater is the action represented by actors before an audience. The theatrical text is not in itself a complete work. There are two types of theatrical text: dialogue and dimensions (e.g., indications of the decor, setting, entrances). It is divided into parts (in relation to its extension): acts, pictures, and scenes.
Theatrical Genres
Comedy
Comedy originated in classical Greece and dates back to myths and religious festivities. The characters are humble and have flaws. Their vices are ridiculed, and the purpose is to entertain and reflect on human nature. It is a work that produces laughter and has a happy ending.
Tragedy
Tragedy also originated in classical Greece and dates back to myths and religious holidays. The characters are of noble class and may be in relation to gods. The protagonist struggles against fate but fails. The purpose is catharsis. It is a serious work with an unhappy ending.
Drama
Drama originated in the nineteenth century during the Romantic period. Its aim is to reflect life more closely, combining joys and sorrows.
Other Varieties
The Allegorical
The allegorical drama dates back to the late Middle Ages, especially the 16th and 17th centuries. It is religious theater, an act in relation to allegorical characters. It often depicts the mystery of the Eucharist.
Steps
Steps are short comic works, popular, and represented in intervals, later becoming skits and sketches.
The Comedy of Art
The comedy of art is a comic work of Italian origin, featuring improvised theater and mimicry.
The Domestic Comedy
The domestic comedy originated in Spain with Lope de Vega (17th century). It is characterized by theater in polymetric verse, predominantly action-driven, in three acts, with varieties such as swashbuckling and comedy of honor.
The Opera
The opera originated in Italy and is represented through singing.
Zarzuela
Zarzuela is a Spanish genre with sung and recited parts.
Poetry / Lyric Poetry
General Purpose
Poetry tends to be identified as a type of verse play in which the feelings of the poetic self are expressed.
Use of the Word “Embrace”
Any concrete literary work.
Use of the Word “Character”
Synonym of “verse line”.
Verse
Verse is an element of poetic works. It is the basic unit that composes poems. Rhythm is the key element that defines it. Historically, poetry could be classified into narrative poetry, didactic poetry, and lyric poetry.
Lyrical Poetry
Lyrical poetry is the fundamental form of poetry. It consists of the expression of poetic subjectivity (feelings, thoughts, etc.). It is normally written in the first person. Lyric poetry is distinguished by its musicality, the widest range in its composition, and the emotions it evokes. It differs from narrative poetry in that it does not tell a story but expresses states that encourage or inspire feelings. There is no dynamism.
Sorts of Lyric Poetry
Cultured Lyric
- Hymn: Solemn composition intended for singing. It expresses religious or warrior ideals.
- Ode: Composition of praise.
- Elegy: Expresses feelings of pain.
- Petrarchan Composition: Theme of love.
- Eclogue: Bucolic poems in which the poet expresses his feelings of love in a pastoral fiction in idealized nature.
Popular Lyric
- The Jarchas: Written in Mozarabic, these are short compositions with a love theme, where a woman expresses feelings such as jubilation for her lover’s arrival or the pain of absence.
- The Carols: Medieval compositions, often related to religious holidays.
- The Cantigas de Amigo: With a parallelistic structure, the main theme is love. They are written in plain language and often put into the mouth of a lover who waits for her beloved in a hermitage or on the seashore, confiding in her mother.
- The Romance: Characterized by its great emotion and originally intended for singing.
- The Couplets: Compositions that serve to popularize songs.
The Narration: Narrative Texts
Narration is the action of telling a story. Narrative texts are those that tell a story. These can be literary or non-literary texts.
Elements of Narration
The Narrator
The narrator is the voice that tells the story. The narrator and the author are not the same person. There are different types of narrators: external narrators (not involved) and internal narrators (who take part). The use of polyphony is also characteristic (the narrator does not merely tell what happens, but also introduces what the characters say). This can be done through direct style (reproducing verbatim what they say), indirect style (the opposite), and free indirect style (the narrator expresses what is said as an undifferentiated mixture of voices). There can also be interior monologue (what the characters think).
The Characters
The characters are the subjects who perform and receive the effects that make up the narration. They are classified according to their function: protagonist (main character) and secondary characters (the rest of the characters).
The Plot
The plot is the way the narrative is organized. The organization can be linear (events in chronological order) or non-linear. The most common narratives are short and do not have alterations in chronological order. In stories, it is possible to distinguish three phases: the introduction, development, and denouement.