Medieval Literature and Notable Figures: A Comparative Study
Medieval Literature and Notable Figures
Don Juan Manuel (1282-1348)
Don Juan Manuel, writer of medieval Castile, was the infant son of Don Manuel and nephew of Alfonso X the Wise. He inherited the title of Governor General of the Kingdom of Murcia and actively participated in the political struggles of his time. Initially supporting Ferdinand IV during his minority, he later sided with Alfonso de la Cerda. Upon Alfonso’s fall, he returned to Ferdinand IV, and after the latter’s death, he was involved in the regency struggles for Alfonso XI. Married three times—to Infanta Isabel of Majorca, Constance of Aragon, and Blanca, heir to the House of Lara—he increased his wealth and prestige. Later political conflicts led him to retreat from politics and focus on literary work.
A learned man of his time, he significantly advanced Castilian prose. He created didactic works with great linguistic unity, aimed at educating young noblemen.
Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)
Rabindranath Tagore, born in Calcutta on May 6, 1861, and died in Santiniketan on August 7, 1941, was a Bengali poet, philosopher of the Brahmo Samaj movement (later converting to Hinduism), artist, playwright, musician, novelist, and songwriter. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913, becoming the first Asian recipient of this award.
Jorge Manrique (1440?-1479)
Jorge Manrique, born in Paredes de Nava, was the son of the Count de Paredes, Don Rodrigo Manrique, and Doña Mencía de Figueroa. Lord of Belmontejo and a member of the Order of Santiago, he participated in several battles, always loyal to Queen Isabella I. He fought bravely and fiercely. Mortally wounded in a battle near the castle of García Muñoz, in Uclés, he was buried at the same site. He wrote several poems that appear in various songbooks. His poetic fame rests on his renowned Coplas por la muerte de su padre (Verses on the Death of His Father).
El Conde Lucanor
In El Conde Lucanor, the author uses the past tense, providing detailed narratives of the time. Patronio departs from reality when he begins to tell the count’s story and returns to it when the story ends, advising the count on how to act. The structure involves the count presenting a problem, Patronio offering a story, and then advising the count based on the story’s moral. Patronio’s Ladder relates to the ascension and hierarchies of communication with another level.
El Rey Postre (The Postman King)
The king symbolizes the universal and archetypal man, possessing magical and supernatural powers. He embodies the act of governing and the virtues of a sound mind and self-control. Anyone can be named king when they reach the culmination of their individual lives. The king is God. The letter symbolizes death. This poem conveys a hopeful vision of death. It evokes bitterness and sadness, as the character dies without fulfilling their dreams. The flowers symbolize friendship, representing a friend’s constant presence in good times and bad. Manrique portrays death with sadness, reflecting his grief. In El Rey Postre, the child anxiously awaits the end of the illness.
Coplas por la muerte de su padre
Written in 1476 to commemorate the death of his father, Rodrigo Manrique, Jorge Manrique channels his grief through these verses. The text is divided into three parts: the first reflects on the transience of earthly life, emphasizing man’s moral and temporary condition. The second part concerns the life of fame, exemplifying the reflections of the first part with illustrative cases. The third part deals with eternal life and meditates on death. The coplas are rooted in the medieval mindset, incorporating themes of contemptus mundi (contempt for the world), ubi sunt (where are), and vanitas vanitatum (vanity of vanities). The coplas consist of six-line stanzas (sextuplets) with varying verse lengths: lines 1, 2, 4, and 5 are octosyllabic, while 3 and 6 are shorter. The rhyme scheme is ABCA BC. The word “remember” serves as a call to awaken the sleeping soul. The first six verses are an exhortation: “Remember the sleeping soul, awaken your understanding, consider how life passes, how silently death comes.” The message is that time passes quickly. The paradox arises from the idea that if the future doesn’t arrive, it becomes the past. Life is compared to a river, flowing towards death, the great equalizer. The poem references historical figures like Julius Caesar for his military prowess, Hannibal for his strategic mind, and Trajan for his goodness. The ubi sunt theme appears in verse 16, questioning the whereabouts of past figures and glories. Death is personified, encouraging acceptance and suggesting that what comes after is better. The father accepts death, entrusting his will to God.