Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Latin

Roman Theater: Origins and Characteristics

Theater emerged in Rome after the epic period and just before the lyric period. Although several theatrical genres were cultivated, comedy was the most triumphant. Representative authors of Roman comedy include Plautus and Terence.

Roman Comedy: Influences and Types

Roman comedy draws heavily on Greek comedy, adapting themes and character types to Roman customs. Different types of comedy include:

• Fabula Palliata: Characterized by a Greek setting. Actors wore the Greek costume, called pallium in Rome.
• Fabula Togata: Featured a Roman setting and characters dressed in the Roman toga.

Plays could be classified as:

• Motoriae (busy)
• Statariae (calmer)
• Mixtae (a combination of both)

Plautus: Master of Roman Comedy

Plautus... Continue reading "Roman Theater and Comedy: Plautus and Terence" »

The Generation of '98: Key Figures

The Generation of '98 was a group of Spanish writers, essayists, and poets active during the time of the Spanish-American War (1898). They were characterized by their profound criticism of Spanish society and their search for the essence of Spain.

Pío Baroja

Pío Baroja (1872–1956), born in San Sebastián, studied medicine in Madrid, although he ultimately devoted himself to literature. He was one of the great novelists of his generation.

Antonio Machado

Antonio Machado (Seville, July 26, 1875 – Collioure, France, February 22, 1939) was a Spanish poet and a late member of the Generation of '98. His early work often aligns with the literary movement called Modernism. He remains one of the most representative... Continue reading "Key Authors and Movements of 20th Century Spanish Literature" »

Garcilaso de la Vega (1501-1536)

In 1543, his works, alongside those of Juan Boscán, were published, marking the advent of Petrarchan lyrical poetry in Spain. Garcilaso's concise body of work—**forty sonnets, three Eclogues, five songs, two elegies, an epistle, and eight octosyllabic poems of the *cancionero* type**—revolutionized Spanish lyric poetry. Born into an aristocratic family in Toledo, he dedicated his life to the service of King Charles I. In 1525, he married Elena de Zúñiga. The following year, he met Isabel Freire (Isabel of Portugal, wife of the monarch), who would inspire many of his writings.

His primary theme is *love*, often expressed through melancholy and sadness, stemming from the frustration or absence of his beloved.... Continue reading "Renaissance Spanish Poetry: Garcilaso de la Vega and Fray Luis de León" »

Ramón María de Valle-Inclán: Literary Analysis

Ramón María de Valle-Inclán's literary output is usually divided into two stages:

1. The modernist sense, aristocratic conception paradigm of English Parnassian of "Art for Art's sake."
2. The *noventayochistas* and grotesque (for his critical spirit and patriotic themes).

Modernist Works: Sonatas

The trilogy of novels of the Carlist War is formed by The Crusaders in the Cause, The Glow of the Fire, and Bigwigs of the Past (+ modernist features grotesque).

*Noventayochistas* Works

Tirano Banderas, a historical novel about the fall of a Hispanic dictator. The Iberian Ring, an incomplete trilogy, a historical theme.

Sonatas

A major constituent of his novels is *Sonatas*, containing the alleged memories of... Continue reading "Valle-Inclán's Literary Stages, Works, and Themes" »

The Evolution of 20th Century Spanish Theater

Facing the neo-romantic drama, cultivated by Echegaray and other playwrights of his school, a new theater emerged, aiming to reflect a real, everyday world in which viewers could see themselves. The 1936 Spanish Civil War implied a radical break in Spanish literary and theatrical production.

Federico García Lorca, along with Ramón del Valle-Inclán, are considered the great innovators of contemporary Spanish theater. Lorca's "La Barraca" was launched to represent classics throughout Spain, fostering quality theater.

Spanish Theater Styles (Early 20th Century to 1936)

In the period from the beginning of the century until 1936, Spanish theater offered diverse forms:

• Bourgeois Comedy

  Characterized by hilarious

The Theater of Postwar (Since 1939)

The theater experienced a general crisis after the war. Authors were scarce and suffered from strict censorship. The public and employers were not willing to embrace innovation, which led to a reduction in drama.

Triumphant Theater

It proposes a clear continuity with dramatic forms and themes from before the Civil War. High comedy is benaventina, does not innovate, and does not have a provision for a clear trend of rupture. It shows humorous theater. The most prominent representatives are Enrique Jardiel Poncela and Miguel Mihura.

Committed Theater

In the late 1940s, with the premiere of Historia de una Escalera by Antonio Buero Vallejo, an inflection occurs in the course of postwar theater. It breaks with the... Continue reading "Postwar Theater and 20th Century American Literature" »

Curial e Guelfa: An Anonymous Chivalric Tale

Curial e Guelfa is a chivalric novel by an anonymous author, likely written in the first half of the fifteenth century. It was not discovered until the late nineteenth century. The action is set during the reign of Peter II (1276-1285) and recounts the social ascent of Curial, a man of low status, through chivalry and love.

Curial is initially helped by a noble lady, Guelfa, but he falls in love with Laquesis, a lady of even higher status, causing a break with Guelfa. After traveling to the Holy Land and Greece, Curial is shipwrecked near Tunis. He is enslaved, taking the name John (Samag), and does not reciprocate the love professed by Camera, his master's daughter. When released, he becomes captain... Continue reading "Chivalric Novels: Curial e Guelfa and Tirant lo Blanc" »

Juan Ramón Jiménez

Chronology of Key Life Events

• 1881: Born in Moguer (Huelva).
• 1900: Moves to Madrid, called by Villaespesa and Rubén Darío.
• 1901: Suffers a depressive crisis following the death of his father. Interned in a mental hospital.
• 1905: Moves back to Moguer due to depression. Lives there in isolation, which is reflected in Platero y yo.
• 1911: Returns to Madrid, residing at the Residencia de Estudiantes.
• 1916: Marries Zenobia Camprubí in New York. Publishes Diary of a Newly Married Poet. Lives in Madrid until the Civil War.
• 1936: Abandons Spain due to the Civil War. Travels to American countries.
• 1951: Settles in Puerto Rico.
• 1956: Awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. His wife dies shortly thereafter.
• 1958: Dies in Puerto Rico.

Poetic

Renaissance Poetry: Models and Inspiration

The acceptance of models in Spanish poetry during the Renaissance involved the desire to create literature based on formal beauty and nature. Sources of inspiration were drawn from direct experience, the poet's classical intimacy, and the contemplation of outward beauty, which mirrored the ideal.

Key Sources and Themes

• Mythological Narratives: Classical stories used as thematic motifs.
• Pastoral Bucolism: The idealization of the natural world and shepherds (locus amoenus).

These elements became constant references in Renaissance poetry.

Characteristics of 16th Century Poetry

The Petrarchan Model

The Petrarchan model was widely accepted by authors in the 16th century. Love, though often a source of sadness and... Continue reading "Spanish Renaissance Poetry: Petrarchan Influence and Fray Luis de León" »

Latin and Greek: Inflected Languages and Their Legacy

Understanding Inflected Languages

Latin and Greek are **inflected languages**, meaning they have the ability to vary the form of certain word classes (such as nouns, adjectives, and pronouns) to express different syntactic functions (like subject, direct object, or indirect object) or to indicate various grammatical relationships. The inflection of nouns, adjectives, and pronouns is called **declension**, while the inflection of verbs is known as **conjugation**.

Classical Languages and Modern Technical Terminology

Classical Greek and Latin possess extensive resources for precisely describing the world around us. These languages have been instrumental in creating **technical terms** – new... Continue reading "Language Evolution and Ancient Political Systems" »