Spanish Literature of the 17th Century
Lope de Vega
Biography
Félix Lope de Vega Carpio (1562-1635) was born in Madrid. A young talent, he showed literary promise from the age of 12. He later became a priest.
Dramatic Work
Lope de Vega dedicated himself to the theater and is considered one of the great figures of Spanish and universal literature. He is considered the creator of the national theater of the seventeenth century and the most prolific author of all Spanish literature.
Comedies, Histories, and Legends:
- Fuenteovejuna
- El caballero de Olmedo
Comedies of Foreign Affairs:
- The Grand Duke of Muscovy
- Punishment Without Vengeance
Sitcoms and Swashbuckling:
- El perro del Hortelano
- La dama boba
Characteristics of his Theater
Topics and Issues: Most of his comedies explore themes of love and honor. Lope’s comedies often defend the crown and aristocratic society, supported by a rural community.
Dramatic Action: He breaks the Aristotelian rule of the three unities and divides the work into three acts. Lope’s works are noted for their dynamism and the liveliness of the action.
Language and Verse: He uses polymetry: the use of different verse forms to reflect changes in the scene. His language is popular and close to the spectators, but at times he uses a more elaborate language.
Popularity: More than any other playwright of his time, his comedies were known and appreciated by the common people. One important introduction is his inclusion of traditional lyrical compositions in his comedies. The inclusion of these lyrical compositions is one of the keys to his success.
Poetic Works
Lope de Vega was also a great poet and storyteller. His poetic creation is dense and varied, both in the meter he uses and the poetic genres he employs. The most beautiful of his poetry is what inspired the lyrics of popular songs. Many of these short poems were included in his comedies.
Romances: The first romance that Lope wrote dealt with the loves of his younger years. His romances are of great beauty and formal perfection. Religious themes occupy part of his romances.
Cultured Lyric Poetry: Lope demonstrates his mastery of the sonnet. His first collection of sonnets was published in Rimas humanas. In Rimas sacras, he includes some of the most beautiful religious sonnets of all Spanish lyric poetry. Many of the sonnets that appear in Rimas humanas are humorous. His two major eclogues are autobiographical, covering issues that are identified with a shepherd character.
Epic Poetry: Lope’s epic poetry ranges from the historical to the burlesque (e.g., La Gatomaquia).
Narrative Work
Although his reputation rests primarily on his theater and poetry, Lope de Vega also cultivated the novel.
Narrative Work:
- Pastoral: Arcadia
- Byzantine: El peregrino en su patria
- Cervantes-style Short Novels: Novelas a Marcia Leonarda
- Prose Dialogue: La Dorotea
Tirso de Molina
Biography
Gabriel Téllez (1583 or 1584-1648) was born in Madrid. He entered the Mercedarian Order at a young age. His life took him through several cities in Spain.
Plays of Tirso de Molina
Works:
- Don Gil de las calzas verdes
- El condenado por desconfiado
- The Seducer of Seville
Characteristics of his Plays
Characters: Tirso de Molina is considered the greatest creator of characters in classical Spanish theater. His characters are drawn with energy and are profoundly human. Tirso’s characters surpass those of Lope in their psychological depth.
Technical Perfection: Tirso de Molina also shows his mastery of language and verse, as well as his knowledge of dramatic structure and stage dynamism.
The Seducer of Seville
Argument: The Trickster of Seville, Don Juan Tenorio, seduces several women, including Doña Ana. He kills her father, the Commander, whose statue invites him to dinner. Don Juan accepts the invitation. When he arrives and shakes hands with the statue, he is dragged into hell.
Real Issues:
- Warnings: Don Juan ignores warnings.
- Deception: Deception is integral to the play because it is inseparable from Don Juan. The Trickster will be deceived by the statue of the Commander.
- Promises: Don Juan swears to be Isabella’s husband, and also promises marriage to Tisbea and Aminta.
Symbolic Themes:
- Fire: The fire of love is mentioned by various lovers. The fire of passion and Tisbea’s lament of being burned symbolize divine justice.
- Night: The Trickster’s acts of love and death occur at night.
Characters of The Seducer of Seville:
- Don Juan: He is present throughout the entire work. None of the other characters are defined in a way that serves as a counterpoint to him. Don Juan does not only confront individual characters; he confronts the entire society, which he mocks. Don Juan seduces four women: two noblewomen and two commoners.
- Catalinón: Don Juan’s servant, who has particular relevance to the plot and the characterization of his master. Sometimes he collaborates with Don Juan, but other times he warns him and predicts his punishment. He always reflects the drama with his wordplay.
- Don Gonzalo: He confronts Don Juan and is killed by him. Thus, the earthly power of the Tenorio family symbolically ends, and Don Juan must be punished by forces from the grave.
Calderón de la Barca
Biography
Pedro Calderón de la Barca (1600-1681) was born in Madrid. He studied at the universities of Alcalá and Salamanca, where he began his theological and playwright training. Felipe IV appointed him an official court playwright. He became a priest at the age of 51.
Dramatic Works of Calderón de la Barca
Calderón de la Barca’s dramatic production includes over 100 plays. To this number must be added the sacramental plays, and mythological and religious dramas.
- Stories and Legends of Spain: El alcalde de Zalamea
- Swashbuckling: La dama duende
- Philosophical: Life Is a Dream
- Honor: El médico de su honra
- Mythological or Religious: Andromeda and Perseus
- Sacramental Plays: The Great Theater of the World, The Prodigious Magician
Sacramental Plays
Calderón de la Barca wrote over 60 sacramental plays, which he approached as a poet and playwright, not as a theologian. He gave the sacramental play its final form, making it more religious and theological.
Characteristics of his Comedies
Structure: Compared to those of Lope, Calderón’s works often have a tighter construction, are more reflective and profound, and demonstrate a more accomplished style.
Intellectual Background: His comedies also have greater intellectual and ideological depth, to the point that sometimes the dominant idea overshadows the plot.
Language and Verse: Calderón’s dramatic language is more elaborate and baroque than Lope’s. His verse is always rich and expressive.
Characters: Calderón’s theater is distinguished by the strength of its characters. Some of them have achieved universal recognition for representing human determination and character.
Value of Calderón’s Theater
Calderón’s works are endowed with perfect dramatic power and a profound moral sense. Most of them reflect three of the most important sentiments of seventeenth-century Spain: religious faith, monarchism, and the concept of honor, which he knew how to stage better than any other contemporary playwright.