Spanish Golden Age Theater: Tirso and Calderón
Tirso de Molina
Foreign History Plays: Works in which the behavior of the characters is very “Hispanicized” (e.g., The Imperial Otto).
In Honor: Rural people are virtuous and represent the purity of blood. Lope thinks we should extol their figure against the crisis in the countryside, which has become a literary topic: “Contempt of court and praise of the village” (e.g., Punishment without Revenge).
Authors of this cycle include Lope de Vega, Guillén de Castro (Las Mocedades del Cid), Luis Vélez de Guevara (The Lame Devil), and Juan Ruiz de Alarcón (The Walls Have Ears, Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining).
Tirso de Molina was born in Madrid. This is the pseudonym of Gabriel Téllez. He wrote works that, because he was to become a priest, could cause concern. He was part of the Order of Mercy, in which he carried out various jobs. He also suffered banishment several times. More than 400 plays are attributed to him, of which fewer than 100 are kept.
Features of Tirso’s Theater
- The psychological portrait of the characters is much better developed than that of Lope.
- Focuses on a single main character (often female) and identifies their character.
- Humor, irony, and burlesque. It also maintains a good dose of intrigue.
- Likes to expose the truth of the characters.
Works
He basically has two types of works:
- Comedy: He is a master of disguise, misunderstanding, and ignorance (e.g., Don Gil of the Green Tights, Marta the Pious, Shame in the Palace).
- Dramas: The Trickster of Seville and the Stone Guest.
The Trickster of Seville
Leads to the creation of the myth of Don Juan. Don Juan symbolizes unbridled sexuality, the call of the flesh, deceit, and sacrilege. Don Juan is a libertine, but believes that if he repents at the last minute, he will not be condemned by God.
The Condemned for Lack of Faith
Deals with the subject of predestination. A friar who had no hope of salvation becomes a bandit and loses his soul. On the other hand, a repentant offender is saved. In life, man creates his destiny.
Pedro Calderón de la Barca
Calderón became the official court dramatist.
Features of Calderón’s Theater
- His drama is not as complicated as Lope’s. He presents a dramatic move towards simplification. He delves into the characters and reduces their number.
- Formal perfection in terms of structure. Greater clarity in what is told (a beginning, middle, and distinct evolution of the conflict).
- The protagonist is deeply marked, bringing the core of the dramatic action. He commonly appears united with an antagonist who represents the opposite characteristics.
- The characters reveal their interior through monologues.
- Conducts more technical complications in the scenery with the money of the court and the help of engineers.
- His style is a mix of *conceptismo* and *culteranismo*. From a stylistic point of view, he attaches importance to ideas, and while there is ornamentation.
Works
- On Honor and Jealousy: The issue is that when honor is affected, one must resort to revenge (e.g., The Physician of His Honor, A Secret Tort).
- Dramas of History and Legend: The Mayor of Zalamea: Pedro Crespo, the mayor, represents honor, but the rape of his daughter at the hands of a soldier requires the soldier’s death. In military work, there are good and bad people, and it reflects the pressures of society.
- Comedies of Manners: Happy comedies in which the main theme is love mixed with jealousy. There is intrigue over the marriage of the lovers (e.g., The Phantom Lady).
- Philosophical Dramas: Life is a Dream deals with freedom, predestination, fate, education, and the human condition. It has a huge depth. The argument is this: At birth, an oracle predicted that Sigismund would be a cruel king, so his father shut him in a tower. Eventually, he decided to see how his son would react, and his reaction is so violent that he returns him to the tower. Sigismund thinks everything is a dream. Finally, with the support of the people, he is freed and takes on the monarchy but proves to be a benevolent king.
- Autos Sacramentales: Pieces that were used to prepare for the feast of Corpus. The staging was abundant with complex structures and ornaments. Almost everyone had to do with praise at the end of the act of the Eucharist. It was a symbolic drama that tried to excite the people and that will be the forerunner of modern street theater. (e.g., King Belshazzar’s Feast).
Other authors mentioned: Cervantes, Lope, Quevedo, Pre-Lope Theater.