Spanish Literature: From Medieval Drama to Baroque Theater

Posted on Sep 28, 2024 in Music

María Victoria Atencio (1931)

María Victoria Atencio (1931) was born in Malaga in 1931. Her poetic trajectory is determined by three characteristic phases:

  1. The first phase lasted until 1961 and represents emotional and expressive immediacy.
  2. The second phase began in 1971 with the play “Martha and Mary,” where her source of inspiration is rooted in the domestic sphere.
  3. The third phase begins with “The Collector” in 1979, where the central theme revolves around art, painting, and music.

Placetas San Marcos

This poem is composed of two free rhyming triplets. It features a cultured language with references to Greek mythology, including Ulysses tying himself to the mast. It also mentions St. Sebastian and his martyrdom and uses the lion, a symbol of St. Mark, the patron saint of Venice, where the poem is set.

Features of the Work

María Victoria Atencio boasts a long and intense poetic production. Her work strongly disrupts with a woman’s voice, which is a synthesis of the traditional domestic woman and the contemplative and creative woman.

Medieval Drama

The Religious Drama: The Auto Sacramental

  • Religious purpose
  • Represented by the church
  • Performed on religious holidays (Christmas, Easter, Corpus Christi)
  • Often focusing on the life of Jesus (explaining parts of the Gospel)

Profane Theater (Non-religious, Very Simple)

Played by university students, burlesque pieces performed by minstrels (small works).

La Celestina (From the Middle Ages to the Renaissance)

  • Originality, difficult to classify as theater: Not meant to be represented initially, not represented in those times, later adapted with very few stage directions.
  • Extensive: Represented in 6 hours, complex, slow, one character reflects, then another… Change of place and time. Many characters: Many actors required, representing a significant financial investment.

It is classified as humanistic comedy (to be read). Author: Fernando de Rojas. The first act was published anonymously. The text is continuous. Title: Tragicomedy of Calisto and Melibea.

Characters
  • Calisto: Young nobleman, selfish (he neglects his noble duties), upper class. He has a passionate love for Melibea.
  • Melibea: High class, noble, beloved. Initially rejects Calisto, then becomes passionate.
  • Celestina: Old witch, sorceress. Cunning, madam (linking men and women). Motivated by money, helps Calisto and Melibea and is in contact with them.
  • Calisto’s servants: Lower class, known by the servants, stakeholders, not very loyal, deceitful.
Message
  • Medieval: Fighting against mad love, greed.
  • Renaissance: The importance of love, individualism.

Renaissance Theater

Religious

Auto sacramental (increasing complexity).

Cult-like Theater

Classical tradition, based on Greek comedy and tragedy, with historical themes, written in verse.

Follows the rule of three unities:

  • Unity of space: Everything happens in the same place.
  • Unity of action: Only one story is told.
  • Unity of time: Everything has to happen in one day, preferably in a shorter timeframe.

Commedia dell’arte (Italian)

Performed by Italian companies, short pieces, comic, recurring characters, improvised, purely for entertainment, characters do not change. From a known story, they improvised dialogue.

Steps and Hors d’oeuvres

STARTERS: So-called because they were performed between longer works that lasted several hours. Short plays, lasting 5-10 minutes, were of a solid nature. Popular characters, mocking the stupidity of the characters, written in prose, seeking a moment of distraction and entertainment.

Authors of the steps: Lope de Rueda (mid-16th century)

Authors of the starters: Miguel de Cervantes (late 16th century)

Baroque Theater

The New Comedy Revolution (Seeking to be different, breaks with the past)

Strong innovation, theater companies are created, the public greatly increases, the first venues for performances open: the corrales.

Lope de Vega

Created the new comedy (late 16th century) for large and popular audiences.

  • Resources: Variety, speed, and viewer identification with the characters.
  • Objectives: Fun and entertainment.
Features
  1. Mixes the tragic and the comic.
  2. The work does not follow the rule of three unities:
    • It may span weeks, months… and there are time jumps.
    • Frequent changes of location.
    • Multiple stories are told (in parallel).
  3. The play is divided into three acts: Introduction, Rising Action, Resolution, with short scenes.
  4. Metric variety: Works in verse without using the same type of verse or rhyme, requiring great skill from the author.
  5. The work includes popular songs, dances, and proverbs.
  6. Realism in language: Each character speaks according to their social class.
  7. The characters are easily recognizable (rather stereotypical): The lady, the knight, the funny servant, the king’s servant.
Topics
  • Honor (social value)
  • Revenge
  • Love within each social class
  • The monarchy, ensuring order and justice (political advertising)
Themes
  • Historical and legendary: The works are based on chronicles, ballads, legends… (e.g., Fuenteovejuna)
  • Manners: Set in the 17th century, combining intrigues and love entanglements (e.g., The Dog in the Manger)

Calderón de la Barca

Continuation of the new comedy.

Differences with regard to Lope: Less action, more reflection, further elaboration of the plot, more educated language, the play revolves around a central theme (e.g., Life is a Dream, exploring the value of life).