Romanticism: A Movement of Freedom and Individualism
In the late seventeenth century in Europe, new currents of thought emerged. These principles and values opposed the Enlightenment:
- Reason → Emotion and Feeling
- The Social → The Individual
- Rules → Freedom of Conduct and Creation
Romanticism developed in the nineteenth century, opposing the tenets of Enlightenment rationalists.
Originating in Britain and Germany, it soon spread through Europe via France. It presented a new attitude to life based on the desire for freedom and individualism.
Key Features of Romanticism
Freedom: Romantics asserted freedom in all aspects of life:
- Political Freedom: In defense of a liberal state that recognized the rights of citizens.
- Moral Freedom: On the social front, they admired marginalized characters who lived by their own rules.
- Artistic Freedom: In opposition to rules that limited creative ability.
Genius and Inspiration: Romantics admired the ability to create, to show originality and uniqueness. They extolled the genius who could create something from nothing, thanks to inspiration.
Individuality: Romanticism championed the human being as a unique individual, and the exaltation of self and subjectivity became the source of all creative work. Literature drew on emotions and feelings: love, longing for happiness, existential angst. Contemplation of the wild was also defended, as was the individuality of people who had kept alive their past songs, legends, and traditions. National identities, vernacular languages, and their literatures were also championed.
Evasion and Irrationalism: They rebelled against society. This rejection led to escapism into the past, to exotic places (like American and Eastern cultures), and into fantasy worlds, mysterious and eerie, hardly explained by reason.
Romanticism in Spain
Romanticism came to Spain through liberal intellectuals who had gone into exile because of the repression suffered during the reign of Ferdinand VII, returning shortly after 1830.
It developed in two phases: the first stage, proper Romanticism (exacerbated loudness, narration, and drama), and a second stage called Post-Romanticism (subdued, musical, and intimate).
Manifestations of Spanish Romanticism
Spanish Romanticism developed in Spain from the 1830s. Its literary manifestations responded to two trends:
- Authors of Liberal Ideology: Without neglecting the expression of individual feelings, they focused on social criticism. Examples include José de Espronceda in poetry, Duque de Rivas in theater, and Mariano José de Larra in prose.
- Authors of Traditional and Conservative Ideology: They incorporated characters and stories from Spanish tradition into their texts. José Zorrilla was a leader in this trend.
Post-Romanticism: In the second half of the century, the influence of German poetry led to a literature of intimate expression, exemplified by Rosalía de Castro and Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer.
The Romantic Drama
The romantic drama “The Conspiracy of Venice” (1834) by José Martínez de la Rosa, served to disseminate Romanticism in Spain.
The romantic drama intended to move the audience with melodramatic stories featuring characters shrouded in mystery.
Features of Romantic Drama:
- Focus on unrequited love between the protagonists, often thwarted for social reasons. The outcome is usually fatal and tragic.
- The works combine the tragic with the comic, verse and prose.
- The search for variety leads to the use of different lines of action (polymetry).
- The action takes place in different locations, different scenarios are presented, there are timing shifts, and there may be secondary actions. Therefore, the classical unities are not observed.
Main Romantic Dramas:
Don Álvaro, or the Force of Destiny: By the Duke of Rivas. It is written in prose and verse. It premiered in 1835 and was the most successful romantic drama.