Life, Works, and Theater of Pedro Calderón de la Barca
Pedro Calderón de la Barca: Life and Works
Early Life and Career
Born in 1600 to a noble family, Pedro Calderón de la Barca’s father served as clerk of the royal treasury. He was the second of three brothers. After studying with the Jesuits and at the Universities of Alcalá and Salamanca, Calderón abandoned his studies around 1620, possibly due to debt, and returned to Madrid. He began writing plays soon after, premiering his first in 1623.
Calderón’s early life was marked by several tumultuous
Read MoreDante’s Paradiso: Cantos XV-XXVII
Canto XV-XVIII: Fifth Heaven (Mars)
The Souls of Warriors of the Faith
Dante finds his ancestor Cacciaguida among the souls who fought for the faith. Cacciaguida inquires about Dante’s life and foretells his exile, a path of hardship and betrayal. He advises Dante to find refuge in the courtesy of Lombardo. Beatrice explains that the blessed spirits achieved great renown through their actions before ascending to Heaven. Dante observes their increasing virtue.
The souls form luminous letters spelling
Read MoreMedieval Law and Society: Custom, Church, and Economy
Businesses Inter Vivos
At this time, bargaining practice was formed from the usual, local customs and conventiae (generic convention). The legal league contract, as the Romans knew it, did not exist at this time because there were no powers that ensured the fulfillment of these agreements (it was a messy and socially insecure environment). That’s why a business that achieved great flowering at this time is the exchange (or barter). Although it is wrong to understand this lack of formal regulation
Read MoreAndrea’s Loneliness and Freedom in Barcelona: A Story of Disenchantment and Hope
Andrea’s Journey in Barcelona
Part 1: Arrival and Disillusionment
Andrea arrives in Barcelona alone at midnight, expecting an exciting adventure. However, she is met with a harsh reality at her new home on Aribau Street. The house is filled with solitary individuals, marked by the remnants of war and post-war hardship. Andrea’s initial excitement turns into disillusionment as she witnesses the poverty and despair surrounding her. The loss of freedom within the confines of her new life becomes apparent.
Read MoreEl Monte de las Ánimas: A Legend of Soria by Bécquer
El Monte de las Ánimas
1. Location
El Monte de las Ánimas, one of Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer’s sixteen legends published in El Contemporáneo, was written on November 7, 1861. Bécquer conceived and wrote the story in Soria, the very setting of the legend. This collection of prose tales represents Bécquer’s most consistent work in terms of genre, structure, theme, and scope. Drawing inspiration from literary traditions, religious literature from the East, fables, and stories of magical events, Bécquer’
Read MoreSocial Inequality and Redemption in Delibes’ “The Holy Innocents”
Social Differences in “The Holy Innocents”
Social Realism with Aesthetic Intention
The Holy Innocents is a novel of social realism with aesthetic intention. It portrays social issues with a distinct style, reminiscent of Time of Silence, yet without reaching the boldness of Luis Martín Santos or Delibes’ own The Castaway.
Two Social Groups
The novel presents two distinct groups: the upper class and the oppressed. The middle class is barely present, appearing as fleeting shadows like Manolo, the doctor
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