Spanish Golden Age Theater: From Gómez Manrique to Fernando de Rojas
Gómez Manrique (1412-1490)
Gómez Manrique, nephew of the Marquis of Santillana, was a prominent political figure rather than a man of letters. He opposed Juan II and remained neutral in the conflict between Isabel (the future Queen Isabella I) and Juana la Beltraneja. He is credited with developing a new verse form known as the sextuplet manriqueña or broken-foot couplet.
As a playwright, Manrique continued the Castilian tradition of liturgical dramas. His notable works include:
- Representation of the Birth of Our Lord, a piece full of emotion, tenderness, and vivacity.
- Song to the Conception of Our Lady, a song incorporated into his dramas.
- Lamentations, written for Holy Week, an example of lyrical poetry with dramatic value.
- Order of the Flight to Egypt, based on apocryphal gospels.
Juan del Encina (1469-1529)
Born in Salamanca, Juan del Encina excelled as both a lyric poet and a playwright. He is credited with creating a distinct dramatic world from the tradition of Pastorum Officium. His theater has two facets:
- Medieval Tradition: Christmas Carols and Representation of the Passion.
- Renaissance Character:
- Eclogue of Fileno
- Eclogue of Cristino and Phoebe
- Plácida and Vitoriano, the most complex of the three, composed in Rome around 1513, develops a love story with a happy ending.
Other works include Carnival Eclogues and Auto del Repelón.
Encina’s importance lies in his bridging of medieval tradition with Renaissance innovations. He introduced themes of love, used colloquial language, and incorporated Italian Renaissance elements.
Lucas Fernández (1474-1542)
Born in Salamanca, Lucas Fernández served the cathedral theater. His style remained medieval. He wrote six eclogues in pastoral mode, three profane and three religious. His most notable work is Auto de la Pasión, whose realism and dramatic power vividly portray the tragedy of Christ. These works were performed during the Corpus Christi festival. Fernández was heavily influenced by Juan del Encina.
Fernando de Rojas and La Celestina (1499)
La Celestina, by Fernando de Rojas (1476-1541), represents pre-Renaissance theater, blending medieval and Renaissance elements. Rojas, born in Puebla de Montalbán, studied law in Salamanca and later settled in Talavera de la Reina. His Jewish origins influenced his view of life as a struggle.
Editions of La Celestina
- 1499: Untitled, 16 acts.
- 1500: Published in Toledo with a title, an author’s letter, acrostics, and verses summarizing the plot.
- 1502: Titled Tragicomedy of Callisto and Melibea, expanded to 21 acts.
Genre
Debate exists regarding the work’s genre. Its length and detail suggest a narrative, but most consider it a drama, although its dialogues are too extensive for stage performance.
Content and Plot
La Celestina portrays the social divisions of Rojas’s time. Calisto, in love with Melibea, seeks help from the procuress Celestina after Melibea rejects him. Celestina obtains an intimate garment from Melibea for her spells. Calisto receives the good news. The lovers meet. Sempronius and Pármeno, wanting Celestina’s profits, kill her but are then apprehended and executed. Calisto’s servants, Tristán and Sosia, bring news. The lovers meet again. Elicia and Areúsa, seeking revenge for Celestina’s death, enlist Centurio to harm Calisto. During a later meeting, Calisto falls to his death while trying to help his servants. Melibea commits suicide. Pleberio mourns his daughter’s death.