History of Medieval Spanish Prose and Alfonso X

Evolution of Medieval Spanish Prose

Early Castilian Prose Before Alfonso the Wise

Prior to Alfonso the Wise, early prose consisted of glosses, which were vulgar Castilian language annotations in Latin texts:

• Glosas Emilianenses: Translation of sentences.
• Glosas de Silos: Translation of words.

Between 1217 and 1252, didactic works of a doctrinal type emerged. These included perceptive and pithy works such as Morsels of Gold (Bocados de Oro) and the Book of the Twelve Wise Men (Libro de los doce sabios). Story or narrative works continued to maintain doctrinal content but in the form of narrative fiction. These works are known as exemplum (or examples) and usually have well-defined structures. Their main types include:

• Storytelling to extend extreme situations.
• The use of examples proposed in the work by a teacher to a pupil.
• The excuse of travel to develop the stories.

Alfonso X the Wise and His Literary Legacy

King Alfonso X the Wise is often attributed with the title of "author" in literary matters for several reasons: he was the author of books, or their developer, because he had glosses made to elaborate books in his name. His literary activity went beyond the collection of books to be translated into the Castilian tongue; it promoted a humanistic meaning as a way to enrich the human being. Hence his interest in translating all important thought for society. As a medieval figure, all that cultural enrichment was intended as an offering to God. This cultural work was performed in the famous Toledo School of Translators.

The working method of Alfonso X the Wise consisted of two main phases:

1. First Phase (Translatores): Translators acted in charge of translating texts from Greek, Arabic, and Latin into the Castilian language.
2. Second Phase (Endrezar): This involved correcting, polishing, and composing the text, which meant ordering the book for structural montage.

King Alfonso was directly involved in the correction of the text by removing (cutting) words he did not believe were needed, avoiding lengthy prose, and eliminating redundant (repetitive) phrasing.

The Rise of 15th-Century Spanish Prose

In 15th-century prose, historical novels recreated matters of national history taken from epics and chronicles. The peak representation of this era is the novel of chivalry, with masterpieces like Amadis of Gaul (Amadís de Gaula) and Tirant lo Blanc.

Another major genre was the sentimental novel, which focused on an autobiography and an analysis of the feeling of love manifested through the exchange of letters. The key differences lie in their conception of love: in the novel of chivalry, love is derived from Platonism (Plato), which considers love as a force that elevates and perfects the human being.

La Celestina and Its Textual Evolution

The masterpiece La Celestina presents several textual problems across its early editions:

• 1st Edition (1499): Titled Comedy of Calisto and Melibea, consisting of 16 acts, each preceded by an argument.
• 1502 Edition: Titled Tragicomedy of Calisto and Melibea, consisting of 21 acts. It includes a prologue which justifies the incorporation of 5 new acts.