15th Century Spanish Literature: Poets and Novels

Great Poets of the 15th Century

Marqués de Santillana

Marqués de Santillana was the most powerful feudal lord of his era. He embodied the values and virtues that represent the courtly cult, engaging in war activities and reading classics. Of great interest is his light poetry. He excelled in grace and musicality with a refined spirit of the Renaissance. His works place him among the best poets of the 15th century.

Juan de Mena

Juan de Mena is the most important writer of high art. He is the author of Labyrinth of Fortune or The Three Hundred, a work of Dantean allegorical inspiration written in dodecasyllables.

Jorge Manrique

Jorge Manrique conjugated weapons and letters in his life. He belonged to a noble family, and his life was known only for his military role. His works began to be known after his death. He took up the theme of love poetry in the cancionero tradition. His fame came from the work Verses for the Death of His Father, which belongs to the lyric genre. It is written in real artwork, moving from the most general to the particular. It combines traditional elements and renewal and summarizes the medieval feeling about death. He attached great importance to fame.

The Novel in the 15th Century

This century saw the first novels begin to be broadcast.

Chivalric Novels

Chivalric novels narrate the adventures of a knight. The most important features are:

• Exorbitant fiction
• Presence of wizards and marvelous components
• The narrator recounts the exploits in the third person, more as a writer than as an omniscient narrator

Sentimental Romances

In sentimental romances, the theme is love, and the outcome is sad. The novel centers on the analysis of individual privacy and relationships through rhetorical language.

Fernando de Rojas: La Celestina

The work was edited several times and in different formats. The first act is anonymous, and he left his name in acrostic verses.

Genre

It is an unplayable work since it contains stage directions. It has come to be believed that it is a humanistic comedy, and that is the currently accepted theory. As for the subgenre, it is believed to be more of a tragicomedy than a comedy.

Characters

• Calisto: He goes from courtly love to passionate love. His intention is to conquer Melibea, and he is not a hero of love.
• Melibea: Represents love.
• Celestina: The best-designed and most famous character in the work. Her linguistic characterization is emphasized using rhetoric and sayings.

Style

Each character speaks according to their status. They change their register depending on the interlocutor. The style is remarkably nuanced.

Intent

It is a topic of much discussion; the author's statements are unambiguous. His desire was to show the passions of two lovers without concern for morality. His intention would be strictly literary aesthetics.

Ideology

It is characteristic of the final period of medieval times, with concessions to the time. It has Renaissance features:

• Epicurean sense of life
• Importance given to fortune
• Suicide of Melibea

The value of this work is undeniable.