Baroque Theater: Characteristics, Authors, and Key Features

Features of Baroque Theater

Baroque theater emphasized several key elements:

• Acts: Plays were structured with three, four, or five acts, without a fixed form.
• Language and Versification: Verse was used exclusively as a form of dramatic expression, discarding prose.
• The Dramatic Unities: (Time, Place, Action). According to Lope de Vega, the action should not be limited to twenty-four hours in one place, but to its own space and time.
• The Mix of Comedy and Tragedy: Works blended comedy and tragedy, mirroring real life.
• Decorum: Respect for poetic decorum was linked to the desire for naturalness, so each character must act and speak as befits their class.

Characters

• The King: Who may be old and wise, or young and arrogant.
• The Powerful: Noble and superb, breaking unjust social harmony and ending up being punished.
• Caballero: That can occur in several ways: father, husband, brother, or lover. The first three are guardians of honor, and the last is next to the lady and funny.
• The Actor: Brave, handsome, and idealistic, with the lady being the female equivalent.
• Funny: The counterpart of the suitor.

Lope de Vega and Followers

Lope de Vega was prolific, versatile, and highly admired. His work in the poetic genre was remarkable, though not reaching the brilliance of Góngora or Quevedo. His theater is the highlight of his work. He wrote extensively, and some of his works are important. Lope dominated the scene and created a school.

Calderón de la Barca

Technique and Style: In his first stage, Calderón closely followed Lope's theatrical technique, but was more careful in the structure of his works and tended to simplify the plot. In his second phase, he became the quintessential Baroque playwright, authoring complex, conceptual, and solemn works.

Works: Calderón wrote in all genres: swashbuckling comedy, historical dramas of honor, religious dramas, mystery plays, philosophical dramas, comedies, and mythology.