Evolution of the Spanish Language: Origins to Present
Historical Evolution of the Spanish Language
The current linguistic situation in Spain is the result of a historical evolution influenced by a number of linguistic, political, and cultural factors. Except for Euskera, all peninsular languages are derived from Latin. Before Roman colonization, the Iberian Peninsula was home to a great diversity of peoples from various cultures, such as Celtiberians, Germans, and others. This resulted in linguistic heterogeneity, with a number of different languages
Ancient Greek Temples and Theaters: Architecture & Design
Ancient Greek Religious Buildings
The temple is the most characteristic monument of Greek architecture. The Greeks considered such buildings absolutely necessary for the worship of their gods. Actually, only an outdoor altar was necessary. The Greeks began to make laws that their gods had to take shelter to protect them, and that is why the temples were built.
Temples, either stone or wood, used to have a simple structure, consisting of a single room which was entered through a portico. The temple
Read MoreJorge Manrique and Fernando de Rojas: Key Works Analysis
Jorge Manrique: Couplets on the Death of His Father
Jorge Manrique (c. 1440-1479) began as a poet of the cancionero style but went a step further, authoring one of the most important works of Spanish lyric poetry: Verses on the Death of His Father. It is an elegy in which the author reflects in an intimate and personal way about life, death, time, and the memory of loved ones. The elegy is composed of forty stanzas called coplas manriqueñas. Each stanza is formed by two sextets, according to this
Read More19th and 20th Century Spanish Literary Movements
Romantic Drama
Romantic authors rejected the unities of action, time, and place, and envisaged creation as a free act, clear of rules. Romantic works often feature a mysterious hero protagonist, marked by an inevitable and tragic fate. Events often occur in gloomy spaces. The language is very theatrical and rhetorical, mixing verse and prose.
Most Important Playwrights
- The Duke of Rivas
- José Zorrilla
Key Works and Authors
- Duque de Rivas: Don Álvaro, or the Force of Destiny
- José Zorrilla: Don Juan Tenorio
- José
Baroque Era: Thought, Literature, and Key Figures
The Thought in the Baroque Era
In the seventeenth century, a marked pessimism, deep disappointment, absolute distrust, and growing discontent arose because disease, death, and poverty were very familiar to the Baroque man. As a result, scientific investigation was somewhat dropped, and the Inquisition was attentive to everything that might be considered suspect.
Literature in the Baroque Era
Two trends emerged that changed the aesthetic of Renaissance literature: culteranismo and conceptismo.
Lyric
Read MoreRenaissance Thinkers and Humanism: Impact on Europe and Spain
Renaissance Thought: A Shift in Worldview
The Renaissance marked a significant change in worldview compared to the Middle Ages. The ideal was to adapt the teachings of the Greco-Roman classics to new times. From this need arose prose of thought, offering new models distinct from the medieval ones.
Key Thinkers in Europe
The most influential Renaissance thinkers, primarily from Italy, include Niccolo Machiavelli and Baldassare Castiglione.
- Niccolo Machiavelli: He wrote The Prince, a foundational book