Spanish Theater of the Golden Age: A Comprehensive Guide
Spanish Theater: Pre-Seventeenth Century
Medieval Drama
In the Middle Ages, drama was primarily religious and performed in churches.
Sixteenth-Century Popular Theater
Popular theater emerged in the sixteenth century, largely represented by Lope de Rueda, known for his pasos.
Pasos were short, comedic prose works featuring everyday characters and colloquial language. They served as precursors to entremeses, short comedic pieces with simple plots and recognizable characters.
Spanish Theater in the Seventeenth Century
Theater became the most innovative literary genre of the seventeenth century. Acting troupes formed, and permanent theaters were established in some cities. These theaters were basic enclosures within courtyards, featuring a stage for the actors.
Lope de Vega’s Influence
Lope de Vega sought to cater to the public’s tastes and revitalized Spanish theater. In his Arte nuevo de hacer comedias (New Art of Writing Plays), he outlined the principles of the new comedy:
- Mixture of Tragedy and Comedy: This broke with established conventions.
- Rejection of the Three Unities: Renaissance humanists had advocated for plays to adhere to a single action, occurring within a single day and a single location. Lope de Vega disregarded this rule.
- Division into Three Acts: Instead of the five acts found in classical drama, Lope de Vega’s plays were structured in three acts, further divided into short scenes.
- Varied Meter: Plays were written in verse, utilizing different metrical patterns.
- Appropriate Language: Language was tailored to the character’s personality, age, and social status.
- Introduction of the Gracioso: This was a comedic or witty character.
- Inclusion of Lyrical Elements: Folk songs and dances were incorporated into the plays.
- Stock Characters: Easily recognizable characters included the galán (male lead), the dama (female lead), the servant, the maid, the villain, the king, and the nobleman.
Common themes explored in these plays included honor (both personal and familial), love, and the glorification of the monarchy.
Lope de Vega’s Plays
Lope de Vega claimed to have written over 1,500 plays, though around 214 are considered authentic today. His primary aim was to entertain the audience.
Notable Works:
- Historical and Legendary Themes of Spain:
- Fuenteovejuna
- Peribáñez y el Comendador de Ocaña (featuring a villainous main character)
- El Caballero de Olmedo (a drama of love and death based on a ballad)
- Comedy of Manners:
- La dama boba (featuring lively plots, intrigue, and often romantic storylines; also known as cloak-and-dagger comedies)
Fuenteovejuna
Fuenteovejuna is one of Lope de Vega’s most renowned works. It belongs to a popular genre depicting the conflict between villagers and the commander who ruled over them. The inhabitants of Fuenteovejuna, a town in Córdoba, rebel against their tyrannical commander and kill him. The play emphasizes the unity of the villagers. The king ultimately approves of their actions, reflecting the political climate of the time, where feudalism was giving way to a strong absolute monarchy.
El Caballero de Olmedo
Ominous songs permeate the play, foreshadowing the hero’s fate. Mystery and the supernatural play significant roles, attempting to prevent Alonso’s journey to Olmedo. The hero hesitates but ultimately proceeds towards his tragic destiny. The murderers are eventually brought to justice.
Pedro Calderón de la Barca
Pedro Calderón de la Barca was born in Madrid in 1600. After studying in Alcalá and Salamanca, he returned to Madrid and began staging his plays in 1623. King Philip IV commissioned him to write plays for the court theater. In 1651, Calderón became a priest, and his playwriting shifted towards religious themes. He died in Madrid in 1681.
Calderón’s theater, unlike Lope de Vega’s, leans more towards intellectual and philosophical reflection, with the action centered on the contrast between characters or opposing ideas.
Calderón’s Plays:
His works can be categorized as follows:
- Philosophical Dramas:
- La vida es sueño (Life is a Dream), exploring themes of life as a fleeting illusion and human free will.
- Dramas of Spanish History and Legend:
- El alcalde de Zalamea (The Mayor of Zalamea)
- Dramas of Honor:
- El médico de su honra (The Physician of His Own Honor)
- Comedias de capa y espada:
- La dama duende (The Phantom Lady), featuring intrigue, a folkloric atmosphere, and complex plots.
- Autos Sacramentales:
- El gran teatro del mundo (The Great Theater of the World), short one-act plays in verse with allegorical characters exploring religious themes.
Tirso de Molina
Among the most important playwrights who followed Lope de Vega’s model was Tirso de Molina. Some of his characters, like Don Juan, the protagonist of El burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra (The Trickster of Seville and the Stone Guest), have become iconic figures in literature.