18th & 19th Century Literature: Neoclassicism, Romanticism & Cervantes

Posted on Oct 10, 2024 in Latin

18th & 19th Century Literature

Neoclassicism (18th Century)

Characteristics

Didactic prose and historical research replaced creative literature. The Enlightenment prioritized didactic works for improving social customs and critical thinking. Scientific and speculative disciplines flourished, leading to institutions like the Royal Spanish Academy. While Spain maintained its aesthetic traditions, Romanticism began to develop at the end of the century.

Romanticism (First Half of 19th Century)

Characteristics

  • Individualism: The individual’s personality is paramount.
  • Subjectivism: The self’s ideals and aspirations are central.
  • Dissatisfaction, Protest, Isolation: Themes of loneliness and discontent.
  • Quest for Freedom: Reflected in all works, from politics to art.
  • Imagination: Supreme value; proclaims individual genius and inspiration.
  • Mixing Prose and Verse: A blend of styles.
  • Nationalism: Exaltation of national values.

Themes

  • Feelings: Self, emotions, intimacy, dissatisfaction, sadness.
  • Rebellion and Evasion: Inability to realize ideals leads to protest or escape.
  • Nature and Landscape: Reflections of the author’s mood.

Theater

  • Rejection of traditional rules of time and place.
  • Mix of comic and tragic, prose and verse.
  • Legendary, historical, and fictional themes.
  • Mysterious personalities and unusual settings.
  • Non-didactic works focused on the author’s vision of life.

Cervantes (Between 16th & 17th Centuries)

Bridging the Renaissance and Baroque periods, Cervantes’s work falls within the Golden Age. Born in Alcalá de Henares, he served in the Battle of Lepanto, losing the use of his left hand. After imprisonment, he returned to Spain, married, and published La Galatea with limited success. He began writing Don Quixote while imprisoned in Seville. The first part was a success, and he wrote the second part in Madrid. His final novel was The Trials of Persiles and Sigismunda.

Works

  • Poetry: Not overly successful.
  • Plays: Also not overly successful.
  • Novels:
    • La Galatea (pastoral novel)
    • Exemplary Novels (short stories)
    • The Trials of Persiles and Sigismunda
    • Don Quixote: A satire of chivalric romances. The protagonist, Alonso Quijano, loses his sanity reading chivalric tales, adopts the name Don Quixote, and embarks on adventures. Guided by noble ideals, he seeks the love of Dulcinea. He enlists Sancho Panza as his squire. Disillusioned, he returns home and dies.

Characters

  • Don Quixote: Blurs reality and fiction.
  • Sancho Panza: Represents practicality.

Language and Style

Cervantes uses various language levels to suit each character, from Don Quixote’s elevated style to Sancho Panza’s colloquialisms.

Lope de Vega’s New Comedy

Characteristics

  • Mixes tragic and comic elements.
  • Breaks the rule of three unities.
  • Divides plays into three acts.
  • Uses varied meter, often octosyllabic.
  • Introduces a gracioso (funny character).
  • Includes lyrical elements (songs).

Themes

  • Honor
  • Love
  • Faith and religion
  • Monarchy