Jacinto Benavente: Spanish Theater's Social Commentary

Jacinto Benavente: A New Voice in Spanish Theater

The emergence of Jacinto Benavente marked a significant shift in Spanish theater. His early works, characterized by naturalistic arguments and a critical tone towards Spanish society, stood in stark contrast to the passionate and rhetorically charged theater of his contemporaries, like Echegaray. Benavente soon adapted his style to appeal to the tastes of the bourgeois audience, who were often the protagonists of his plays. He employed a superficially satirical approach that avoided offending sensibilities, utilizing swift, effective language and well-crafted characters.

Key Thematic Guidelines

• Upper Middle-Class Dramas: These plays focus on the urban upper classes, exploring themes of social convention, hypocrisy, sentimentalism, and infidelity, all with an underlying critical perspective. A notable example is "El nido ajeno" (The Alien Nest).
• Cosmopolitan Dramas: Inspired by European modernist and decadent trends, these works often feature international settings and themes. "La noche del sábado" (Saturday Night) is an example.
• Provincial Bourgeoisie Dramas: Set in provincial towns, often symbolized by Moraleda, these dramas depict societies dominated by the church and local power structures, reflecting a societal stagnation and resistance to progress. "Los intereses creados" (The Bonds of Interest) is a prime example, though often categorized differently, it fits the critique of societal structures.
• Rural Dramas: These plays delve into the intense passions of love and jealousy within conventional rural settings, often threatening family harmony. "La malquerida" (The Mistreated Woman) exemplifies this genre.

Poetic and Traditionalist Theater

Benavente's influence extended to other theatrical forms:

• Poetic Theater: This style encompasses neo-Romantic nationalist exaltation, idealizing the past, particularly the medieval world or the Spanish Golden Age. It often features lyrical passages reminiscent of modernism. Francisco Villaespesa's dramas, such as "Doña María de Padilla", recreate exotic and romanticized visions of Spain with a pompous rhetoric. Eduardo Marquina's works often draw from historical legends, evoking nostalgia and melancholy, as seen in his plays about medieval heroes and the decline of Spanish dominion over the Netherlands. The Machado brothers also contributed verse plays with Andalusian folk inspiration.
• Traditionalist Comic Theater: This genre centers on popular Andalusian types and settings, exemplified by the works of Serafín and Joaquín Álvarez Quintero. Their plays offer a lighthearted and polite portrayal of Andalusian life. Short sketches often depict the customs of Madrid. Pedro Muñoz Seca's comical dramas, however, lean towards slapstick and grotesque farce, built upon absurd situations and casual, often crude, humor.