Spanish Golden Age Literature: A Comprehensive Overview
Gómez Manrique
Gómez Manrique, nephew of the Marquis of Santillana, was a prominent political figure rather than a man of letters. He opposed Juan II and remained neutral in the conflict between Isabel (the future Queen Isabella I) and Juana la Beltraneja. He is known for a new verse form, the sextuplet manriqueña, or broken-foot couplet. As a playwright, Manrique continued the Castilian tradition of liturgical dramas. His works include:
- Representación del Nacimiento de Nuestro Señor (Representation of the Birth of Our Lord): A delightful piece full of emotion, tenderness, and vivacity.
- Canción a la Concepción de Nuestra Señora (Song to the Conception of Our Lady): A song included in the aforementioned drama.
- Lamentaciones, coplas para la Semana Santa (Lamentations, Verses for Holy Week): An example of lyrical poetry with dramatic value.
- Orden de la Huida a Egipto (Order of the Flight to Egypt): Based on the apocryphal gospels.
Juan del Encina
Born in Salamanca in 1469, Juan del Encina excelled as both a lyric poet and a playwright. He is credited with creating a distinct dramatic world, rudimentary yet engaging, based on the Pastorum Officium tradition. His theatrical works have two facets:
- Medieval liturgical dramas, such as Carros de Navidad (Christmas Carols) and Representación de la Pasión (Representation of the Passion).
- Renaissance works, including the Égloga de Fileno (Eclogue of Fileno), Égloga de Cristino y Febea (Eclogue of Cristino and Phoebe), and Égloga de Plácida y Vitoriano (Idyll of Placida and Victoriano). The latter, composed in Rome around 1513, is the most complex of the three and develops a love story with a happy ending.
Other works include Églogas de Carnaval (Carnival Eclogues) and Auto del Repelón (Play of the Tug-of-War). Encina’s importance lies in his bridging of medieval tradition with Renaissance innovations. He introduced themes of love, employed colloquial language, and incorporated Italian Renaissance influences.
Lucas Fernández
Born in 1474, Lucas Fernández lived in Salamanca and served the cathedral. His theatrical style remained medieval. He wrote six eclogues in pastoral mode, three profane and three religious. Among the latter, the Auto de la Pasión (Play of the Passion) stands out for its realism and dramatic power, vividly portraying the tragedy of Christ. These works were performed during the Corpus Christi festival. Fernández was heavily influenced by Juan del Encina.
Celestina
La Celestina by Fernando de Rojas is a pre-Renaissance work with both medieval and nascent Renaissance characteristics. Rojas, born in Puebla de Montalbán, Toledo, in 1476, studied law in Salamanca and later settled in Talavera de la Reina. His Jewish origins may have contributed to his view of life as a struggle.
Editions of La Celestina
- 1499: Untitled, 16 acts.
- 1500 (Toledo): Added a title, an author’s letter to a friend, acrostic verses, and a summary of the plot.
- 1502: Titled Tragicomedia de Calisto y Melibea, expanded to 21 acts.
Genre
Debate exists regarding the work’s genre. Its length and detailed narrative suggest a novel, but most consider it a drama, although its long dialogues make it unsuitable for stage performance.
Content and Plot
La Celestina portrays the social background of Rojas’s time, divided into serfs and lords. The plot revolves around Calisto’s love for Melibea. Rejected by her, Calisto enlists the help of Celestina, a procuress. Celestina persuades Melibea to give Calisto an intimate garment for a spell. Calisto rejoices at the news. Melibea and Calisto have their first encounter. Sempronio and Pármeno, Calisto’s servants, murder Celestina for her money; they are subsequently arrested and executed. Calisto and Melibea meet again. Celestina’s associates, Elicia and Areúsa, plot revenge. Melibea’s parents plan her marriage. Elicia and Areúsa enlist Centurio, a braggart, to teach Calisto a lesson. During a final meeting between the lovers, Calisto falls to his death while trying to help his servants. Melibea commits suicide, and her father, Pleberio, mourns her death.