17th and 18th Century Spanish Theater and Literature
The Theater of the 17th Century: New Comedy
Comedia is a genre that sprang from the union of Italian comedy and the drama of the Spanish Renaissance. Lope de Vega added his sensitivity to this union.
Most Representative Works:
- Historical: The Best Mayor, The King, Fuenteovejuna, The Knight from Olmedo
- Traditional: La Dama Boba and The Dog in the Manger
Features
- Union of the tragic and comic, and the noble and popular.
- Breakdown of the rule of the three unities of classic theater, use of various types of verses.
- Creation of situations of intrigue.
Characters
- The King: Maximum representative of justice and honor.
- The Gallant: Brave, idealistic, generous, and handsome.
- The Lady: Beautiful and noble, with wit.
- The “Gracioso”: Figure of grace, often a servant, faithful to the gallant.
- The Villain: Inhabitant of the town, engaged in farming.
- The Powerful: Arrogant and unjust, motivated by selfish interests, altering the relationship between the king and his subjects.
In Europe
- William Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet
- Molière: The Miser
In Spain
Theatrical Representation
A stable location provoked the appearance of the corrales de comedias, which were interior courtyards that were upgraded for the representation of the works. The scenery was evolving from very crude means to breathtaking scenery.
- Tirso de Molina: The Trickster of Seville and the Stone Guest
- Calderón de la Barca: Mystery plays, such as The Great Theater of the World, explain the concepts of the Roman Catholic religion. Between philosophical drama: Life Is a Dream.
Eighteenth-Century Literature: Neoclassicism
Historical-Social Aspects
After the death of Charles II, a war of succession was unleashed, a change in the Spanish crown: with Philip V, the Bourbon dynasty became king of Spain.
- Important French influence in Spain.
- During the reigns of Felipe V, Fernando VI, and Carlos III, reforms were held to modernize the country. However, with the last king, Charles IV, Spain entered into a serious crisis.
- Institutions like the National Library, the Spanish Royal Academy, and the Prado Museum were founded. Many monuments were built.
Literary Aspects
Neoclassicism is characterized by the requirement that art be subject to classical rules: unity of place, time, and action on the stage. It pursued educational and training purposes and an interest in scientific issues. There is also a current collecting post-Baroque elements and another pre-Romantic precedent of Romanticism.
The essay is the most important genre of the 18th Century.
- Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos: Is concerned with practical problems. Report on Agrarian Law.
- Fray Benito Jerónimo Feijoo: Reconciles religious faith and scientific spirit. Universal Critical Theater.
- José Cadalso: Critical stance toward the Spanish and foreign. Moroccan Letters, Lugubrious Nights (pre-Romantic play).
Theater
- Break with Baroque theater and triumph of the rules of the three unities.
- Leandro Fernández de Moratín: El sí de las niñas, La comedia nueva or El café.
- Ramón de la Cruz: Follows a traditional power in his costumbrista sketches.
Poetry
Interest is lost in favor of didacticism. The didactic genre is raised in verse: “The Fables”. There are two focal points:
- Félix María de Samaniego
- Tomás de Iriarte
Narrative Prose
Quality novels were not written, but to remember:
- Diego de Torres y Villarroel: His Vida, is a light-hearted autobiography filled with fun events.
- Francisco José de Isla: In his famous History of the Famous Preacher Friar Gerund of Campazas, alias Zotes, satirizes the oratory of the time.