Spanish Renaissance Prose: An Overview

Posted on Oct 6, 2024 in Latin

Spanish Early Renaissance Prose

The Didactic Prose

This genre was cultivated by Spanish humanists who imitated Latin writers like Lucian and Cicero. They focused on prose that educated and conveyed ideas rather than boasting. Common forms included letters and dialogues, sometimes mixed with narrative. The language was natural, with a measured rhythm.

Serious didactic prose reflected the intellectual concerns of the time, including:

  • Support for Emperor Charles V
  • Erasmian thought
  • Desire for rationality
  • Revision of customs
  • The ideal of contemplative life and study
  • Promotion of Castilian as the national language

Sympathy for Erasmus of Rotterdam and the Enlightenment led to scrutiny by the Inquisition, as some prose writers were suspected of heresy. Nebrija Grammar (1492) is a notable example. Prominent humanists include Alfonso Valdes, Juan Valdes (Dialogue of the Tongue), and Fray Antonio de Guevara.

The History and Chronicle of the Indies

Many chroniclers were children of the empire, writing historical accounts influenced by nationalist ideology. Spanish historians, influenced by Erasmian humanism, interpreted and narrated events with nationalist fervor, justifying Charles V’s policies. They blended objective data with fiction, often modeled on Julius Caesar’s Gallic Wars. Notable figures include Pedro Mexia and Diego Hurtado de Mendoza.

Chronicles of the Indies

These chronicles focused on the conquest of the New World. Through the perspectives of conquistadors and missionaries, often contrasting, they depicted the encounter between cultures. The language ranged from colloquial to formal, sometimes imitating chivalric romances, blending objectivity with fantasy. There were two main types of authors: those who praised the Spanish and those who condemned their cruelty. A key figure is Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo (General and Natural History of the Indies), who documented the fauna, flora, races, and customs. He wrote like a biologist, defending neither the Spanish nor the Indigenous peoples. Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca (Shipwreck), who journeyed through North America searching for El Dorado, also contributed to this genre.

Two authors wrote about Hernan Cortes:

  • Bernal Diaz del Castillo (History of the Conquest of New Spain) focused on the soldiers rather than the conqueror himself. He defended the Spanish against accusations of cruelty and wrote in plain language.
  • Fray Bartolome de las Casas (History of the Indies and Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies) dedicated his life to defending the Indigenous peoples against Spanish abuse. He passionately advocated for the Aztecs. Due to his religious influence, Charles V read his work and passed laws to protect the natives. However, Las Casas’s writings contributed to the “Black Legend” against Spain in Europe.

These chronicles are invaluable for their historical, anthropological, geographical, and scientific insights, providing firsthand accounts of the events.

The Idealist Novel

The Novel of Chivalry

This genre emerged from epic poems of chivalry, arriving in Spain from France via the Camino de Santiago. It features a knight who protects the weak and loves a lady. He overcomes exceptional challenges (giants, mythical creatures) and adventures. The lovers are often separated, and the knight must overcome obstacles to reunite with and marry his beloved. Common features include:

  • Courtly love (the lady inspires the knight)
  • A taste for adventure
  • Defense of the weak

The most important work is Amadis of Gaul (1492, published 1508) by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo. It achieved immense popularity, with sequels continuing the adventures of his descendants. Cervantes parodied these romances in Don Quixote, criticizing the nostalgia for the chivalric ideal. The desire for entertainment fueled the genre’s popularity in the 16th century. They were translated into various languages and influenced ballads, lyric poetry, narrative, theater, and even the chronicles of the Indies.

The Byzantine Novel

Also known as the Greek novel, this style originated in Hellenistic literature. It features intricate tales of adventure and travel across diverse geographical areas, often separated by the sea. It combines narration with descriptions of places, customs, and reflections on various topics. Notable examples include Cervantes’s The Labors of Persiles and Sigismunda and Núñez de Reinoso’s The Story of Clareo and Florisea.

The Pastoral Novel

This genre was revived during the Renaissance, drawing inspiration from Latin texts like Virgil’s, where shepherds in idealized natural settings discuss love. Key characteristics include:

  • Platonic love
  • A blend of prose and verse, with idealized dialogues
  • Idealized nature, often reflecting the author’s region
  • Refined shepherds who may represent real people
  • Slow-paced action, often resolved by magic

Important works include Jorge Montemayor’s The Seven Books of Diana, Cervantes’s La Galatea, and Lope de Vega’s Arcadia.

The Moorish Novel

In addition to shepherds, this genre features the Muslim gentleman, reflecting the recent conflicts around Granada and the Spanish Moors. The Moorish figure is idealized, often as a chivalrous hero. Love stories are filled with difficulties, set in exotic, luxurious, and opulent environments. A significant example is The Story of the Abencerraje and the Beautiful Jarifa, where an imprisoned man seeks permission to attend his wedding and then returns to finish his sentence. He keeps his word, and the surprised official rewards him with gifts and freedom.

Realistic Novel

The Picaresque Novel

This genre encompasses works written in 16th and 17th century Spain. Though Lazarillo de Tormes appeared earlier, the genre solidified with the publication of Mateo Aleman’s Guzman de Alfarache. The central figure is the “pícaro” (rogue), a character without a moral compass who lives by exploiting others. He works for various masters but ultimately faces consequences for his actions. Key features include:

  • Autobiographical form: the rogue narrates his own experiences.
  • Rogues are often children of dishonorable or unknown parents.
  • Poverty forces them to leave home and beg.
  • They serve different masters who dismiss or mistreat them.
  • Hunger and sometimes vice drive them to steal, using tricks and deception.
  • They desire to climb the social ladder, often through appearances.
  • Their lives alternate between luck and misfortune.
  • They often end up in dishonorable marriages.
  • The novels are highly realistic, without fantastical elements.

Lazarillo de Tormes

Authorship and Date of Composition

The author of Lazarillo is unknown. The criticisms of various social groups, including the clergy, suggest the author likely wrote anonymously. Possible reasons include religious concerns (perhaps being a converted Jew) or fear of the Inquisition. The novel is a satirical and anticlerical work that advocates for religious reform, aligning with Erasmian thought. Attributions have been made to Diego Hurtado de Mendoza and Juan de Ortega, among others. Some suggest it could be a critique of Judaism. The date of composition is estimated between 1525 and 1554, based on historical references, such as expeditions to Djerba (1510 and 1520) and Charles V’s court in Toledo (1525 and 1539). It was published in 1554.

Narrative Structure

Considered the first modern novel, Lazarillo breaks from the tradition of static heroes. Lazarillo’s character evolves as he ages; it’s a story of his degradation. The novel is divided into a prologue and seven chapters:

  • Prologue: Lazarillo introduces his life story.
  • Chapter 1: His mother is a sorceress, and his father died on the gallows. Lazarillo becomes a servant to a blind man (the episode of the sausage). He learns from the blind man but eventually takes revenge.
  • Chapter 2: He serves a stingy cleric in Maqueda who starves him. Lazarillo tries to steal food and flees when discovered.
  • Chapter 3: He serves an impoverished squire who relies on begging for food.
  • Chapter 4: He briefly serves a friar.
  • Chapter 5: He works for a seller of indulgences and leaves because he dislikes the deception.
  • Chapter 6: He becomes a painter of tambourines, then a chaplain’s assistant, and finally a water carrier.
  • Chapter 7: He marries the mistress of the Archpriest of San Salvador and tolerates her brothel, leading to gossip.

The Antihero

Unlike Amadis, Lazarillo, born to dishonorable parents, is an antihero. He survives by navigating a hypocritical and deceitful society. He fights for his basic needs, not ideals.

Language and Style

The work is characterized by its simple and spontaneous language, blending cultured and popular speech, bitterness and humor, the religious and the mundane. It uses realistic and expressive language, including vulgar elements like repetitions, colloquial terms, descriptive adjectives, and diminutives. It’s a prototype of simple, natural prose.

Meaning

Lazarillo de Tormes critiques the society of its time, addressing issues of honor, blood purity, and the hypocrisy of the Church. Its influence on later literature is immense, serving as a model for realistic narrative, particularly for Cervantes and the Spanish picaresque novel.

The Baroque: Socio-Historical Context

During the 17th century, Spain faced a decline in its empire, leading to a climate of defeat and national humiliation. Conflicts arose between the nobility, clergy, and rising bourgeoisie. Rural-urban migration increased. Artistic and literary life was controlled by state censors who suppressed any dissent against the monarchy and Catholic morality. Spain lacked significant philosophical and scientific advancements compared to other European countries that produced figures like Galileo, Descartes, Pascal, and Newton. However, Spain experienced a Golden Age in literature and the arts, producing geniuses like Cervantes, Lope de Vega, Góngora, Calderón, Quevedo, Velázquez, and Murillo.