Spanish Baroque Literature and Golden Age Arts

The Spanish Baroque: A Century of Contrast

The Baroque was a cultural movement which developed in Spain and throughout Europe during the seventeenth century. It coincides with the reigns of Philip III, Philip IV, and Charles II.

Key Features of the Baroque Period

• Political and economic crisis: The Spanish Empire began a decline that contrasts with the splendor of the literature and the arts.
• The rise of the nobility: This class defended monarchical absolutism, an obsession with purity of blood, social immobility, and a return to traditional religion.
• A disillusioned vision of life: This is manifest in the constant presence of subjects such as death, the transience of life, and inconsistency.
• Fascination with difficulty: This period was characterized by ornate shapes and a luxurious appearance; consequently, poetry became very elaborate and full of rhetorical devices.
• Taste for contrast: In the theater, tragic and comic elements were mixed, while serious poems were written alongside burlesque works.

Prominent Figures: Góngora and Quevedo

Luis de Góngora: He wrote love poetry, philosophical works, and satirical-burlesque pieces, but his work focuses primarily on the Fable of Polyphemus and Galatea and the Solitudes.

Honor: This represents the reputation or good name held before others, noble heritage, and bloodless integrity.

The Works of Francisco de Quevedo

• Moral-philosophical: Poems dealing with the passage of time and death.
• Love: The feeling of love is portrayed as so intense that it lasts beyond death.
• Satirical-farcical: Comedies that ruthlessly criticize various social types.

The Evolution of Spanish Theater

The Corral de Comedias: Interior courtyards were adapted to accommodate theatrical performances. The nobles were seated in the apartments, the only place where men and women were allowed to mix. The clergy held the party, which they shared with the poets. The common people were divided by gender: men stood in the courtyard while women were in the cazuela (the pan), and traders were located at the stalls, stands, and attics.

Lope de Vega and the New Comedy

This style fits a formula established by Lope de Vega called the New Comedy. It consists of three acts: a beginning, a middle, and a resolution. It is written in verse and combines tragic and comic elements while developing varied themes. Two key themes dominate this era:

• Honor: The preservation of social standing and reputation.
• Love: The feeling that arises between young actors, often in conflict with the demands of honor.