Feudal Society & Ramon Llull: Courtly Love, Poetry, and Religion
Feudal Society (11th-13th Centuries)
Two Social Classes
Feudal society consisted of two distinct classes: the nobility and the commoners. The nobility, including lords and ladies, lived in palaces and managed vast estates. The commoners, including serfs and slaves, lived in humble mud and straw huts, dedicating their lives to farming, animal breeding, and serving the nobility.
Feudal Army
To maintain control over their serfs and extract maximum economic benefit, the nobility formed feudal armies of
Read MoreDemocracy, Totalitarianism, and the Rise of Fascism
Democracy and Totalitarianism
1. The Crisis of Liberal Democracies
1.1. Consequences of World War I
The democratic states’ victory in WWI led to the fragmentation of empires and the birth of new countries with parliamentary systems, such as Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary. Universal male suffrage was introduced in many nations. Economic hardship followed the war, with high unemployment and inflation in the early 1920s, leading to social unrest and strikes.
1.2. Democracies and the Crisis
Countries
Read MoreCervantes, Don Quixote, and the Baroque Prose
Cervantes and the Baroque Prose
Life and Thought
Miguel de Cervantes’s life is marked by three distinct stages: his military career, his work as a supplies manager in Seville, and his final 11 years dedicated to writing, beginning with La Galatea in 1585.
Three factors shaped Cervantes’s thinking: the decline of the Spanish Empire, the transition from Renaissance to Baroque, and his own life experiences. His writing explores themes of Christianity, reason, faith, humanism, utopianism, individual conscience,
Read MoreA History of Oratory: From Ancient Greece to the Imperial Age
Oratory: A Historical Overview
Ancient Greece
Oratory, the art of public speaking, emerged in the democratic city-states of ancient Greece. Sophists like Protagoras and Gorgias developed theories about persuasive speaking techniques, and schools of rhetoric flourished, spreading throughout Greece.
Ancient Rome
Roman nobility embraced Greek rhetoric with enthusiasm, while some conservatives viewed it as a tool for the common people. A decree even expelled rhetoricians from Rome for a time, but they
Read MoreValencian Literature: Renaissance to Neoclassicism
Valencian Literature
From Renaissance to Neoclassicism
1. Renaissance (14th-16th Century)
This period saw the spread of humanism across Europe, reviving interest in classical works. The transition from Valencian to Castilian is evident in the literature of this time.
Theater
Works were written in Spanish or bilingually. Notable playwrights include:
- Joan Ferrandis d’Heredia: La Vesita
- Luis Milán: La Cortesana
Poetry
Medieval traditions continued, with influences from the Valencian school and religious satirical
Read MorePost-War and Social Poetry in Spain: 1940s & 1950s
Post-War Poetry in Spain: The 1940s
Existential Poetry
The Spanish Civil War dramatically impacted intellectual and artistic life, dividing poetry into two main streams. Established poets like Dámaso Alonso and Vicente Aleixandre continued their work alongside the Generation of ’36. In exile, poets like Juan Ramón Jiménez and León Felipe focused on the theme of Spain, evident in works like Felipe’s Verses and Prayers of a Walker.
Rooted Poetry
Centered around the Escorial and magazines like Garcilaso,
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