16th Century Spanish Literature: Prose and Lope de Vega

16th Century Literary Prose

Didactic Prose

• Dialogues: These works took the first steps toward the development of the novel.
• Doctrinal Treatises: Reaching high literary and aesthetic standards, these served as a didactic genre with the purpose of teaching and disseminating knowledge. A notable author is Saint Teresa of Jesus, the religious founder of reformed Carmelite convents.

Prose Fiction

• Pastoral Novel: Idealizes nature and love. The protagonists are pastors who tell their love stories and sing to their beloveds.
• Moorish Novel: Arises from the coexistence of Muslim and Christian cultures, evolving around the Kingdom of Granada.
• Byzantine Novel: A narrative text with a complex plot. The argument takes the form of a pilgrimage involving various trials, typically concluding with marriage.
• Picaresque Novel: Initiated by Lazarillo de Tormes (1554), this genre fully developed in the 17th century. It was consolidated with Mateo Alemán's Guzmán de Alfarache.

Key Features of the Picaresque

1. Autobiographical structure: Written in the form of a confession.
2. Humble origins: The narrative shows the protagonist's background and character development.
3. Life story: A chronological account of the protagonist's experiences.
4. Multiple masters: The character works for many different masters.
5. Moralizing intent: The rogue serves as an antiejemplo (anti-example) of conduct.

The New Comedy by Lope de Vega

Character Archetypes

• Galán (The Hero): Brave, noble, and in love.
• Dama (The Lady): Beautiful, faithful, and loving. While often submissive, she may take the initiative if her honor is at stake.
• Servants: Provide a popular counterpoint to the masters; the servant and the lady's maid often maintain a romantic relationship.
• Gracioso (The Funny Character): Lope's great innovation. This character provides humorous sketches and conspires with the audience, making them complicit in his actions.
• The Powerful: Often the father of the lady or hero, or a noble/king. Their mission is to restore balance by administering justice.

Lope de Vega's Rule of Three Units

Lope did not satisfy the classical rules of space, time, and action:

• Space: Lope alternated spaces and locations within the same work.
• Time: Lope did not respect the 24-hour limit; weeks, months, or years could pass between acts.
• Action: Lope often included a primary action alongside a parallel secondary action.

Classical Rules of Three Units

• Space: The work must develop in a single location.
• Time: The action must proceed within a maximum of 24 hours.
• Action: The play must feature a single, simple argument on stage.