Baroque Era: Thought, Literature, and Key Figures
The Thought in the Baroque Era
In the seventeenth century, a marked pessimism, deep disappointment, absolute distrust, and growing discontent arose because disease, death, and poverty were very familiar to the Baroque man. As a result, scientific investigation was somewhat dropped, and the Inquisition was attentive to everything that might be considered suspect.
Literature in the Baroque Era
Two trends emerged that changed the aesthetic of Renaissance literature: culteranismo and conceptismo.
Lyric Poetry
Lyric poetry of quality continued to be written, with Lope de Vega, Góngora, and Quevedo as prominent figures. The great poets of the time contributed to the development of new romances with popular themes in their compositions.
Narrative
In narrative, romances disappeared, and the picaresque novel and the short story were especially cultivated, thanks to Baltasar Gracián. Didactic prose also experienced a significant moment.
Theater
However, the genre that enjoyed the most success in the Baroque era was the theater. The formula of Lope de Vega did not respect the rule of three unities, divided the work into three acts, mixed characters (nobility with commoners), and mixed tragedy with comedy, with a variety of metric forms and poetic decorum.
Key Figures of the Baroque Era
Luis de Góngora (1561-1627)
Of Jewish ancestry, Góngora was from Córdoba. His dry character and beliefs led to numerous enemies, including Quevedo. In his first poetry, usually written with simplicity and clarity, he is considered the prince of light (letrillas and romances). In his later work, he writes more complex texts and is considered the prince of darkness (Fable of Polyphemus, Galatea, Solitudes, and some sonnets).
Francisco de Quevedo (1580-1645)
Born in Madrid, Quevedo was both a prose writer and a poet. He discussed the most sober and serious themes (love, the transience of life, the expiration of things, death as release, etc.) but also the gayest. His works include the picaresque novel “The Life of a Swindler” and “Dreams,” a collection of five satires. His poetic work can be classified into philosophical, moral, and religious poems, love poems, and mocking satirical poems. Quevedo is a pessimistic writer.
Literary Styles
Direct Style (Internal Narrator)
The narrator allows the characters to be directly involved with their own words. Example: “I’m Alicia,” Alicia said.
Indirect Style (External Narrator)
The narrator, in the third person, recounts the words and feelings. Example: The other gods and goddesses, priests of the temple, and thousands of faithful from his sanctuary begged him.
Free Indirect Style
When what is thought or said by the character is conveyed through the words of the narrator, without being perceived as an intervention. Example: When she asked, the ring collapsed. Never accept a compromising gift.
Lope Félix de Vega Carpio (1562-1635)
Born in Madrid, he studied at Salamanca and Alcalá. He participated in military campaigns, and then love led him to live scandalous situations. At 52 years old, after the death of his wife and his son Charles, he was ordained a priest. But soon after, he fell in love with a younger woman.
His Work
At the time, he was known as the Spanish Phoenix and for his naive nature. He cultivated all genres of the moment. His operas are collected in books such as “Rhymes,” etc. His epic compositions include “The Beauty of Angelica” and “Jerusalem Conquered.” In prose, he wrote a pastoral novel “Arcadia,” a Byzantine novel “The Basking in his Homeland,” and four novellas. In theater, he claimed to have composed more than 1,500 plays, and today only 314 remain. Notable works include “Fuenteovejuna,” “The Peribáñez,” “The Commander of Ocaña,” “El Caballero de Olmedo,” “Best Mayor,” “The King,” etc.
Fuenteovejuna: A Drama of Honor
The best-known work of Lope de Vega. It is based on a historical event that happened in 1476 in the Villa Cordobesa.
The English Theater: William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare is one of the principal figures in literature. Shakespeare used a formula similar to that of Lope de Vega. Among his comedies, dramas, and tragedies are: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “The Tempest,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “Othello,” “Macbeth,” “Hamlet,” and “King Lear.”