Celestina: Authorship, Plot, and Themes
Celestina: A Masterpiece of Hispanic Literature
In the late fifteenth century, a masterpiece of Hispanic literature, Celestina, was published. It became a bestseller in the sixteenth century. In addition to Spain, it was printed in Castilian in other countries and translated into other languages. Regarding its authorship, it is now accepted that acts II to XXI are the work of Fernando de Rojas. The first act could be the work of Rodrigo Cota.
Plot Summary
The plot is relatively straightforward. In
Read MoreValle-Inclán’s Luces de Bohemia: Society & Modernism
Political and Social Reality in *Luces de Bohemia*
Valle-Inclán’s *Luces de Bohemia* offers a scathing critique of contemporary Spanish politics and society. The play is filled with criticism, such as:
- Imprecations against Maura, Chairman of the Board of Ministers and the S.A.R.
- A parody of Gadez Dorio, who makes vacuous rhetoric of Manuel Garcia Prieto.
- Open insults to Castelar, Mr. Jaime Romanones, and Ms. Isabel.
Political corruption is evident in references to Picalagartos and *caciquismo*, stating
The Poetry of Spain’s Generation of ’98: Key Figures & Themes
The Poetry of the Generation of ’98
For Spain, the nineteenth century ended with a serious crisis: the end of its colonial empire in 1898. This event sparked a wave of indignation and protest that appeared in literature through the writers of the Generation of ’98.
It is not exactly a literary movement, but a group of writers emerging in the aftermath of ’98 representing a desire for political renewal and social roots in the regeneration. They coincide in their tracks: the Castilian landscape, interest
Read MoreLiterature vs. Cinema: A Comparative Analysis
Literature vs. Cinema
Cinema is expensive, whereas novels are cheaper. Cinema involves collaboration among various professionals, while literature is often created by an individual.
Drama is the genre that most closely resembles a script or screenplay of a movie on the page because they both use dialogues, describe character’s actions, movements, expressions, and the setting of each scene. Moreover, they are both divided into scenes, and they both focus on performances.
Theatre relies on live performances
Read MoreMacbeth Act 2: Analysis and Key Events
Act II: Macbeth
Questions and Answers on Key Moments
Banquo’s Speech: “There’s Husbandry in Heaven…”
Comment on Banquo’s speech beginning “There’s husbandry in heaven…” and ending “… in repose.” Remember that this play would originally have been performed in the daytime, using natural light.
Answer: Banquo’s lines about the darkness (“There’s husbandry in heaven; Their candles are all out”) serve as a way of setting the scene for the audience. Since performances were held in daylight,
Literary Genres: Definition, Types, and Characteristics
Literary Genres: An Overview
The literary genre is a system that allows the classification of literary works according to semantic, syntactic, phonic, discursive, formal, contextual, situational, and related criteria. Throughout history, there have been several classifications of literary genres. Therefore, a definitive categorization of all historical works under a common approach is not possible.
Realistic Genre
The realistic genre, in general, is characterized by the use of language to present facts
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