Shakespearean Era: Drama, Poetry, and Prose
The Age of Shakespeare
(Some critics question the concept of the “English Renaissance” and prefer to discuss “Elizabethan, Jacobean, and Cromwellian literatures” or “Early Modern Literature.” They highlight the achievements of previous literature and question the influence of the Italian Renaissance.)
Historical Background:
- 1455-1485: War of the Roses (dynastic war between the houses of York and Lancaster). Lancaster won, resulting in the House of Tudor ruling for over a century (1485-1603)
Romanticism, Realism, Naturalism, and Modernism: Literary Movements
Romanticism
A movement born in Germany and England in the 19th century.
Themes & Features:
- Expression of feelings and passions (unattainable love)
- Admiration for nature
- Desire for freedom in life and art
- Pessimism and anxiety about death and the mystery of existence
- Flight from reality in time and space
There were two tendencies:
- Romantic liberal and progressive: fought for freedom and democracy.
- Romantic traditionalist and conservative: defended the monarchy, tradition, and religion.
Authors:
- Goethe (great
Literary Analysis: Cervantes, Don Quixote, and San Juan de la Cruz
The Art of Novel Writing: Cervantes and Don Quixote
Cervantes presents the story of Don Quixote as found in various sources, diverging from the omniscient narrator. He vaguely recounts events, often attributing them to the protagonist’s perspective. Cervantes introduces Cid Hamet Benengeli, an Arab, as the original author of the manuscript, History of Don Quixote de la Mancha. Cervantes claims to merely follow this pre-existing narrative and employs a Moorish translator to render the manuscript into
Read MoreCelestina: Authorship, Plot, and Themes
Celestina: A Masterpiece of Hispanic Literature
In the late fifteenth century, a masterpiece of Hispanic literature, Celestina, was published. It became a bestseller in the sixteenth century. In addition to Spain, it was printed in Castilian in other countries and translated into other languages. Regarding its authorship, it is now accepted that acts II to XXI are the work of Fernando de Rojas. The first act could be the work of Rodrigo Cota.
Plot Summary
The plot is relatively straightforward. In
Read MoreValle-Inclán’s Luces de Bohemia: Society & Modernism
Political and Social Reality in *Luces de Bohemia*
Valle-Inclán’s *Luces de Bohemia* offers a scathing critique of contemporary Spanish politics and society. The play is filled with criticism, such as:
- Imprecations against Maura, Chairman of the Board of Ministers and the S.A.R.
- A parody of Gadez Dorio, who makes vacuous rhetoric of Manuel Garcia Prieto.
- Open insults to Castelar, Mr. Jaime Romanones, and Ms. Isabel.
Political corruption is evident in references to Picalagartos and *caciquismo*, stating
The Poetry of Spain’s Generation of ’98: Key Figures & Themes
The Poetry of the Generation of ’98
For Spain, the nineteenth century ended with a serious crisis: the end of its colonial empire in 1898. This event sparked a wave of indignation and protest that appeared in literature through the writers of the Generation of ’98.
It is not exactly a literary movement, but a group of writers emerging in the aftermath of ’98 representing a desire for political renewal and social roots in the regeneration. They coincide in their tracks: the Castilian landscape, interest
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