Spanish Theater: From Medieval to Baroque
The Communication Stage
The Rule of Three Units
- Unit of Action: The focus should concentrate on a single action or plot.
- Unit of Time: The events of the plot should not extend beyond one day.
- Unit of Place: The plot should unfold in a single location.
The Basis of Theatrical Expression
A play is meant to be performed. The playwright’s message is a dramatic action brought to life by actors. A dramatic text, written in prose or verse, contains character dialogues and stage directions. These directions are brief statements about character entrances, exits, and the setting. The text becomes a dramatic speech through its staging.
The action unfolds chronologically, building dramatic tension. The initial circumstances lead to the development, which intensifies gradually until the climax. The conflict then resolves in the outcome. These sequences are organized into acts, often divided into scenes.
Characters possess subjective, moral, and physical traits crafted by the playwright. The audience observes the relationships and the progression of the plot. Actors embody the characters, lending their bodies and voices to the roles.
The Theater in the 15th Century
Religious theater performances took place in churches during liturgical celebrations. Readings were presented to court audiences. Medieval and Renaissance elements fused with the new spirit of La Celestina by Fernando de Rojas, notable for its style and rich portrayal of human life.
La Celestina
Designed for reading, not performance, La Celestina is considered the first modern work of Castilian literature. It blends elements of comedy and the humanistic dialogue novel.
Content and Style
The characters inhabit an urban, bourgeois society dominated by greed and sensuality. Celestina leads them to their tragic end. Romantic relationships connect most characters.
Melibea is a complex character (young, upper-class, educated, confident). She evolves from rejecting Calisto’s love to surrendering to passion and despair. Calisto is a young man consumed by sexual passion, rich, noble, yet insecure and lacking character. The author presents a pessimistic view of the human condition and mistrust.
La Celestina showcases a rich language, dominated by dialogue. Monologues reveal inner conflicts. The language blends colloquial and cultured rhetoric.
The Renaissance: Theater During the 16th Century
Two theatrical trends emerged: “old comedy” following the Aristotelian schema and “new comedy” following a popular trend, staged in comedy corrales.
The Baroque: The Theater of Lope de Vega
Theater became widespread in the late 16th century and a mass performance in the early 17th century. Performances took place in corrales (courtyards) with no scenery. Women were separated from men. The wealthy sat in galleries (balconies). Performances occurred on Sundays, with short plays during intermissions.
Characteristics of the New Comedy or Lope’s Plays
- Breaks the rule of three units (action, place, and time).
- Division of the play into three acts and scenes.
- Mixes tragic and comic elements.
- Polymetry (use of varied verse forms).
- Decorum (appropriate language for each character).
- The “gracioso” (funny character) is typically the servant/friend, providing comic relief.
- Inclusion of musical elements.
Félix Lope de Vega (1562-1635)
Lope de Vega cultivated all genres except the picaresque novel. He rejected the unities of time and place, combining multiple plots and mixing comic and tragic aspects, noble and low characters, with artistic freedom. His dramatic works include historical dramas, dramas of honor, legendary dramas, and comedies.