Lope de Vega: Life, Works, and Theatrical Innovations

Lope de Vega: Life and Major Works

Major Works

• Swashbuckling Comedy: The Lady Loggerhead
• Discreet Love
• Palatine Comedies: The Dog in the Manger
• Biblical Comedies: The Work of Jacob
• Plays of Saints: Good Guard
• Mythological Comedies: The Legend of Perseus
• Comedy Series: Peribañez and the Commander of Ocaña
• Tragedies: The Knight of Olmedo, Punishment Without Revenge
• Court Theater: Love Love

Source Ovejuna

It raises the open confrontation between a man who abuses his power and the people of Fuente Ovejuna. The men show passivity in the attitude of the commander, which induces Laurencia to act.

The Gentleman from Olmedo

Based on a true story (the murder of a gentleman born in 1532 occurred on the road to Medina Olmedo). The protagonist, Don Alonso, senses his impending end and confronts his destiny with courage. When turning to see her, her beloved husband kills him with one stone.

Peribañez and the Commander of Ocaña

The commander falls in love with Casilda, Peribañez's wife. Peribañez is sent to war, but the commander enters his house. Peribañez returns in time and kills him.

Lope de Vega:

Madrid 1562-1635, Spanish writer from a poor family whose life was extremely hectic and full of love affairs. He studied at the Madrid Jesuit school in 1574 and attended college in Alcalá (1576). He was banished from the court (1588-1595). In 1596, after being pardoned from exile in 1595, he was convicted for love affairs with Antonia Trillo. He was secretary of the Marquis of Malpica, the Duke of Alba, and from 1605 to the Duke of Sessa. He had an intense love life, maintaining relationships with many women even after being ordained as a priest.

Theatrical Innovations

Theater: The genre where Lope truly renewed the Spanish Golden Age. He composed at the request of the Academy of New Art in Madrid around 1609, outlining his dramatic theories in Epistle to the Tamping. Lope rejects the unity of action and focuses on historical works, advising the mix of tragic and comic elements, hence the importance of the funny character.

He regulates the use of stanzas according to situations. His works centered around love and honor, and his audience was varied. Preserved from the 300 works, he wrote swashbuckling comedies based on the plot of the action of love. His most famous works were those that treat abuse of the nobles.