Romanticism: Defining Traits, Literary Themes, and Drama

Characteristics of Romanticism

• Freedom

  Romanticism championed individual freedom: moral, social, political, and artistic.

• Subjectivism

  It emphasized the individual's importance and worldview, asserting a subjective view of reality. Literature became an expression of the artist's inner world. The search for ideal happiness and fulfillment often clashed with reality, leading writers to express their sense of failure. There was also an interest in human types rejected by society.

• Historicism

  It asserted the historical character of artistic productions. The defense of distinct cultural features led to the revitalization of vernacular literature. Literary works were linked to the national spirit, fostering interest in medieval literature, folklore, popular traditions, Baroque theater, and the myth of Don Juan.

• Irrationalism and Evasion

  Superstitions and legends were re-evaluated, and literature incorporated fantastic and mysterious elements. A penchant for fantasy and the desire for escape led to the idealization of the past and the exoticism of distant cultures.

Themes and Styles of Romantic Literature

The major themes include freedom, power, justice, the sense of life, the silence of God, the destiny of human beings and their mysteries, and love (cherished yet unattainable).

Romantic writers rejected established conventions in poetic language, demanding the integration of diverse linguistic registers and styles. Romantic literature incorporated a wide range of expressions, including colloquialisms and neologisms. It emphasized the use of exclamatory statements to express moods, and employed a lexicon and linguistic resources appropriate for manifesting subjectivity, sentimentality, and emotion.

Romantic Drama

Key Features of Romantic Drama

Romantic drama projected the ideas and tensions within the society of the time. Romantic dramatists asserted creative freedom, disregarded classical rules, and emphasized non-linguistic aspects of staging.

Structure and Discourse in Romantic Drama

Romantic drama is characterized by:

• Division of the work into 'jornadas' (acts), typically between one and seven, with each 'jornada' composed of various 'cuadros' (scenes).
• Mixture of prose and verse within the same work, with a tendency towards polymetry.
• Rejection of the rule of three unities (action, place, time), leading to multiple actions, varied settings, and temporal shifts.
• Mixture of tragic and comic elements, scenes of high dramatic tension alongside intense lyricism, and a blend of colloquial and simple language.

Themes in Romantic Drama

Themes include doom, passionate love, revenge, power, and authority. They often deviated from contemporary standards, addressing issues like adultery, suicide, and honor, and incorporating melodramatic and fantastic elements.

Characters in Romantic Drama

• The protagonist is often obscure, mysterious, and unknown, a victim of inexorable fate and a society that rejects them.
• Female characters are often condemned to suffering, loving passionately, sometimes to their demise.
• Other marginalized characters also appear, falling outside social norms.

Don Álvaro, or The Force of Destiny

The central themes of Don Álvaro are revenge and honor.

Structure, Time, and Dramatic Elements

The play is organized into five acts:

• Act One: Don Álvaro is in love with Leonor, daughter of a Sevillian nobleman who opposes their marriage. As they attempt to elope, the girl's surprised father appears. Don Álvaro throws away his weapon, which accidentally discharges, killing the Marquis. Leonor is torn between filial love and her love for Don Álvaro.
• Act Two: Leonor withdraws as a hermit near the monastery of Hornachuelos.
• Acts Three and Four: Don Álvaro, now in Italy, encounters Don Carlos, Leonor's brother, whom he kills. He is sentenced to death but escapes.
• Act Five: Don Álvaro lives in Hornachuelos as Father Rafael. Don Alfonso, Leonor's other brother, discovers him. Don Álvaro kills Alfonso, but not before Alfonso fatally wounds Leonor, leading Don Álvaro to commit suicide.

The action spans over five years and multiple locations, emphasizing the individual's profound loneliness.

The Protagonist of Don Álvaro

The protagonist, feeling that the world and society have closed off all life chances, ultimately commits suicide.

Language and Style in Don Álvaro

The play features a mixture of prose and verse, with polymetry. It combines serious and elevated styles, reflecting typical Romantic exaltation, with popular and humorous scenes. The stage directions provide numerous indications for scenery, costumes, lighting, and sound.