Spanish Golden Age Theater: Lope de Vega’s Influence
17th Century Theater: The New Comedy
- Not respecting the place, 3 units of time, and action
- The book is structured in three acts or days
- Mixed genres
- All works are written in verse
- Polymetry is used
- Language fits each of the characters
- Includes folk dances and songs
Themes and Issues
The plots of the plays used to be complicated, very energetic, and full of intrigue, with fast action.
Variety of issues (mythological, pastoral, foreign, classic)
- Themes of national and popular character drawn from tradition and history
- Love and jealousy
- Religious themes taken from the Bible
The Theme of Honor
In the 17th century, honor referred to the good opinion others have of a person who has acquired fame for his virtue. That person and their origin were linked to merits. In the nobles, it was in the epic and Songs of Gesta. Lope de Vega extended this concept of honor and also honored the rich villains.
Social Value of the Baroque Music Scene
The theater was in the 7th century a popular spectacle, which served to have fun and learn a model of behavior.
- Defense of the monarchy
- Maintenance of social condition
- National affirmation of the old hegemony of the Spanish military at the time of the start of its decline
- Defense of compliance with the standard Catholic
Characters
- The King: embodies authority and usually delivers justice
- The Noble Caballero: a rich and powerful knight who abuses his power
- The Gallant Love: a handsome young nobleman endowed with generosity and courage
- The Lady: beautiful and of noble lineage
- The Lady’s Father: seeks to avenge the disgrace of his daughter
- The Villain: an honest, old Christian laborer
- The Funny: a materialistic, charlatan servant of a low social ladder, fond of eating and drinking, a coward
Los Corrales de Comedias
This was where the play was represented in the 17th century.
Composition:
The top floor windows were called lofts and the lower chambers had seats in a semicircle. The area in front of the stands was a courtyard with some benches. In a place called the “pan” at the bottom of the first floor, women sat. Most standing visitors were called musketeers.
The Scenography:
It was simple, just decorated. Performances were held in the afternoon, with sunlight, and lasted two or three hours. They were on Sundays and holidays. It began with a celebration between the first and the second act, a brief hors d’oeuvre, and between the second and third, a jácara was sung. At the end, there was a dance.
Lope de Vega
He wrote poetry and prose and is considered the creator and driving force of theater in the 17th century.
Characteristics of his Theater
- Themes and Topics: love, honor, religious issues, and monarchists
- Action-Drama: he breaks the rule of three units and divides the work into three days
- Language and Versification: uses polymetry (use of different lines to reflect the change of scenes)
- Popularity: he heard about the popular mood and reached the people (introduction of lyrical compositions)
Poetic Work of Lope de Vega
Themes of love, pastoral, religious, historical, mythological. He writes lyrical and poetic.
Popular Lyric Poetry: Some of the best and most beautiful (mountain songs, harvest songs, vintage songs, wedding songs, etc.) are included in his comedies.
Romances: They deal with his love in his youth, are of great perfection and poetic beauty. They deal with religious themes.
Cultured Lyric Poetry: It demonstrates his mastery of the sonnet and poetic language. His first collection was Human Rhymes.
Epic Poetry: Themes from the historical to the romantic or religious.
Narrative Work
- Pastoral: The Arcadia
- Byzantine: The Pilgrim at Home
- From the style of Cervantes: Novels to Marcia Leonarda
- Prose Dialogue Work: La Dorotea