A History of Spanish Golden Age Drama

University of Kentucky UKnowledge Spanish Literature European Languages and Literatures 1984 A History of Spanish Golden Age Drama Henryk Ziomek University of Georgia Click here to let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Thanks to the University of Kentucky Libraries and the University Press of Kentucky, this book is freely available to current faculty, students, and staff at the University of Kentucky. Find other University of Kentucky Books at uknowledge.uky.edu/upk. For more information, please contact UKnowledge at [email protected]. Recommended Citation Ziomek, Henryk, "A History of Spanish Golden Age Drama" (1984). Spanish Literature. 21. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_spanish_literature/21 STUDIES IN ROMANCE LANGUAGES: 29 John E. Keller, Editor This page intentionally left blank A History of SPANISH GOLDEN AGE DRAMA Henryk Ziomek THE UNIVERSITY PRESS OF KENTUCKY Publication of this book was assisted by a grant from Research Foundation, Inc., of the University of Georgia. Copyright© 1984 by The Umversity Press of Kentucky Scholarly publisher for the Commonwealth, serving Bellarmine College, Berea College, Centre College of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky University, The Filson Club, Georgetown College, Kentucky Historical Society, Kentucky State University, Morehead State University, Murray State University, Northern Kentucky University, Transylvania University, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, and Western Kentucky University. Editorial Offices: Lexington, Kentucky 40506-0024 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Ziomek, Henryk A history of Spanish Golden Age drama. Bibliography: p Includes index. l. Spanish drama-Classical period, 1500-1700- History and criticism. I. Title. PQ6105.Z56 1984 862' .3'09 83-23309 ISBN: 978-0-8131-5538-8 Contents PREFACE ix INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER I The Birth and Development of Spanish National Drama 6 CHAPTER II Lope de Vega and the Formation of the Comedia 36 CHAPTER III The Proliferation of the Comedia: Lope de Vega's Contemporaries 82 CHAPTER IV Calderon: The Apogee of the Comedia 134 CHAPTER V The Decline: Calderon's Contemporaries and Imitators 169 CHAPTER VI The Comedia since 1700 187 NOTES 200 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 218 INDEX 229 This page intentionally left blank Illustrations Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra 28 Lope de Vega 38 Tirso de Molina 88 Juan Ruiz de Alarcon 104 Stage scene from La verdad sospechosa 106 Juan Perez de Montalban 120 Pedro Calderon de la Barca 136 "Love, Wind, and Nymphs' Choir" (stage scene) 158 Stage decor for a play by Calderon 158 "The Sacred Form of an Auto Sacramental'' (painting by Claudio Coello) 162 This page intentionally left blank Preface THEATER IS known to have existed on the Iberian peninsula since its first settlers and invaders arrived. Its origin and development are dif ficult to determine, but the cradle of Spanish theater is considered to have been in Sagunto, where the Roman ruins of a theater built accord ing to Greek plans suggest Greek influences even before the arrival of the Romans. Classical theater remained alive throughout the Middle Ages but soon had to coexist with the mimes introduced by the Visigoths and the liturgical forms of the Roman Catholic Church. These three forces point to a little-known period during which various dramatic forms were tried, the vernacular gradually took over, and Spanish Renaissance theater developed. Out of this background one of the true manifestations of Spanish genius-the Golden Age drama, known as the comedia-came into existence in the last decades of the sixteenth century and flourished for fifty years. The gradual unfolding of this major genre is not well known to the average English-speaking student of Spanish literature, although many are more knowledgeable about the great playwrights of that period, Lope de Vega and Calderon. A number of high-quality plays by lesser-known authors are less often read, just as the events leading up to that great period are often neglected. The purpose of this volume is to present a comprehensive, chronological account of the develop ment of the Spanish comedia through a survey of its dramatists. To present a picture of fully developed Spanish verse drama as a whole and to place it in its proper perspective requires a review of the elements in the evolution of Spanish theater that brought the comedia into ex istence. The early Spanish drama of the pre-comedia period and the Spanish stage are also analyzed. This information is helpful m understanding the hybrid and unique character of the comedia. X PREFACE While the contributions of Lope de Vega's important theatrical pre cursors are within this work's purview, I naturally emphasize the in novations and additions of Lope de Vega, Calderon de Ia Barca, and their followers in the maturing of the comedia. Thus, through a chronological account rather than a subject-by-subject discussion of themes, characters, and plots, the history of Spanish drama unfolds. In addition to biographical sketches of the important playwrights and analyses of their significant works, brief plot synopses are presented to aid the reader who does not know Spanish, and most Spanish titles and terms are translated into English at their first appearance. Also, while I have attempted to highlight recent research and new approaches, especially those of the last ten years, I have cited secondary sources only in the accompanying notes, while the bibliography is restricted to stan dard sources for each dramatist's works, some biographies, biblio graphical studies when available, and general historical and critical studies. The vast amount of material to be presented in a limited space has forced me to be selective. Although Lope and Calderon eclipsed all other playwrights of the Golden Age, I have given attention to the suppor tive contributions of lesser-known playwrights, since inclusive volumes have already been written on the great masters, while their precursors and contemporaries have been neglected. Since a brief history such as this cannot delve deeply into the ex cellent critical analyses that have come into existence during the last century, the notes and bibliography provide sources to which the reader can turn for further study. I have relied on the works of the eminent scholars of Spanish Golden Age drama, and acknowledge my gratitude to them for enriching my understanding of the comedia. I wish to express appreciation to Gerald E. Wade and Everett W. Hesse for the benefit of their critical advice, and to David H. Darst and the readers at the University Press of Kentucky for their helpful suggestions in preparing this book. Gratitude is also expressed to the Research Foundation, Inc., at the University of Georgia for financial assistance in publication, and to the University of Georgia, which pro vided a grant for the typing of the manuscript. Introduction THE SPANISH Sig/o de Oro (Golden Age)-almost two centuries of great cultural intensity-arose out of a rich historical background. A brief review of the origin and early history of the Spanish people pro vides a fuller understanding of the heterogeneous character of their drama. The benign climatic conditions, rich resources, and accessible loca tion of the Iberian peninsula attracted invaders from the beginning of time. The earliest record of its aboriginal past is found in the Paleolithic cave paintings, believed to have been made twelve to fourteen thou sand years ago, at Altamira in the western Pyrenees. Evidence has also been found of a distinct Neolithic Almerian culture that invaded the southeastern part of the peninsula around 3,000 B.C. Written history records that Iberians coming from North Africa entered the land around 1, 000 B. C., and that Celts migrating from Central Europe by way of France invaded the peninsula in the ninth century B.C. and again two centuries later. The subsequent intermingling of these two groups, who settled in the central regions of the peninsula, produced the Celtiberians. During this time the land surrounding the Mediterranean basin came under the control of the ancient civilizations. First among these were the Phoenicians, who established a colony in Cadiz in the eleventh century B.C. Later the Greeks founded other colonies on the eastern seacoast. In 535 B.C. the Carthaginians militarily took over the peninsula, where they stayed for three centuries. Carthage and Rome clashed for supremacy in the Mediterranean world, and the Carthaginians were ex pelled in 206 B.C. during the Second Punic War. It took the following two centuries for the Romans to pacify the country and to impose their form of government, language, laws, and religion on the people. In 2 SPANISH GOLDEN AGE DRAMA so doing they created on the peninsula one of the most prosperous parts of the Roman Empire. In 409 A.D., Teutonic invaders-Alans, Vandals, and Suevi-crossed the Pyrenees and created havoc in the land. Nine years later the Visigoths, at the request of Rome, swept down from Toulouse and took control of the entire country, retaining it for nearly three hundred years. Having already been Romanized, the Visigothic kings encouraged the growth of Roman culture, codified Roman and Gothic law, and brought Christianity to the peninsula. Toward the beginning of the eighth century the Visigothic power weakened under the weight of internal strife; finally a rebellion broke out over the election of a duke, Rodrigo, to the throne. Under the pretext of helping the pretender to the throne, a Moorish leader, T arik, with his Saracen army invaded the peninsula in 711 A.D. and in seven years, with the help of the Arab Musa and his reinforcement, overtook the entire country except for its northernmost parts. Although Moslem rule was marked by rivalries among various sects of the Mohammedan world, Saracen culture and power in the peninsula attained their peak in the tenth century.

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