Spanish Baroque: Literary Movements and 17th Century Culture
The Baroque Era: Splendor and Decline in the 17th Century
The Baroque was a profound cultural and artistic movement that flourished during the seventeenth century. This period coincided with a significant era of economic and social crisis.
A Period of Crisis and Cultural Contrast
Baroque thought and culture were deeply marked by pessimism and disillusionment. Society turned to religion with a deeper awareness. This pervasive crisis was reflected in sharp cultural contrasts, leading to a violent clash
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Existential Novel in Post-War Spain (1940s)
The existential novel embraced the new Spanish reality, aiming to break from the aesthetic and propagandistic narrative novel. Notable works include Camilo José Cela’s La familia de Pascual Duarte and Carmen Laforet’s Nada. Cela’s novel introduced tremendismo, a style characterized by stark language, violence, crime, and the brutality of human beings. Nada, on the other hand, depicted the consequences of the Civil War through everyday characters suffering
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Realism
Realism, emerging in the second half of the 19th century, reflects everyday life and social realities. It objectively and plausibly depicts truth in all aspects, particularly in late 19th-century Spain.
Lyrical Poetry
Ramón de Campoamor, known for his anti-romanticism, explored themes of dolor (pain) and humor (mood).
Theater
Theater flourished with José Echegaray, who developed the ‘high comedy’ or ‘comedia alta’.
Narrative
The Spanish literary realist tradition, influenced by European realism,
Read MoreSpanish Post-War Literary Trends: Theatre and Novel
Spanish Post-War Theatre
Theatre in Exile and Early Post-War
Exile Theatre: Diversity and Themes
Theatre in exile showcased diverse achievements, styles, and tendencies. Key figures include Max Aub (known for his novelistic theatre, often exploring the human inability to understand, as seen in Dying to Close Your Eyes), Alejandro Casona (The Lady of Alba), and Rafael Alberti (The Scarecrow).
Post-War Theatre: Three Subgenres
Bourgeois Comedy and Creative Humor
Post-war theatre developed into three subgenres.
Read More20th Century Spanish Theater: Realism, Avant-Garde, and Innovation
Early 20th Century Theater: Realism and Renewal
At the beginning of the 20th century, the predominant trend in drama was **realistic and naturalistic theater**. This was the most commercial form of theater, aiming to reflect the social reality of the moment. The characteristics of this stage included:
- Sets that created the illusion of reality for the viewer.
- Actors embodying characters as if they were real individuals.
- The audience forgetting they were in a theater.
During the first decades of this century,
Read MoreClassical Mythology & Philosophical Thought: Key Figures & Myths
Classical Mythology and Philosophical Thought
Sigmund Freud: Pioneer of Psychoanalysis
Sigmund Schlomo Freud, born May 6, 1856, in Freiberg, and who died September 23, 1939, in London, was an Austrian neurologist and physician. He is widely recognized as the creator and principal exponent of psychoanalysis.
Addressing concepts like the Oedipus complex, which describes a child’s sexual attraction to the parent of the opposite sex, Freud’s theories (and later interpretations like the Electra complex)
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