Spanish Literary Masters: Valle-Inclán and Federico García Lorca's Dramatic Legacy

Ramón María del Valle-Inclán: Satire and Symbolism

Valle-Inclán also authored the trilogy "Mardi Gras," composed of Los cuernos de Don Friolera (Don Friolera's Horns), Las galas del difunto (The Deceased's Finery), and La hija del Capitán (The Captain's Daughter). This series offers a satirical vision of deeply ingrained Spanish themes such as honor and philandering. Additionally, he created a series of five pieces under the common denomination of "Retablo de la avaricia, la lujuria y la muerte" (Altar of Greed, Lust, and Death).

Federico García Lorca: Poetic Drama and Social Commentary

Lorca's work is not only essentially poetic due to the abundant use of verse but also because of its compelling arguments and evocative language. His recurring themes, already present in his books of poems, include the confrontation of the individual with their desires and societal authority. His early work, El maleficio de la mariposa (The Butterfly's Evil Spell), though flawed, already presented themes such as love, death, and desire, which would permeate his later creations.

Early Works and Puppet Farces

Among his notable early works are the puppet farces Tragicomedia de Don Cristóbal y Rosita (Tragicomedy of Don Cristobal and Rosita) and Retablillo de Don Cristóbal (Don Cristobal's Puppet Show), in which the puppets transparently convey the sad underlying theme: the marriage of convenience. In a similar vein, La zapatera prodigiosa (The Shoemaker's Prodigious Wife) and Amor de Don Perlimplín con Belisa en su jardín (The Love of Don Perlimplín and Belisa in His Garden), performed by actors, address the issue of young women married to older men.

Surrealism and Lyrical Dramas

Lorca also wrote the lyrical drama Mariana Pineda, featuring a heroine executed for embroidering the republican flag. This work powerfully depicts the irruption of death and the destruction of beauty. Plays like El paseo de Buster Keaton (Buster Keaton's Walk), El público (The Public), and Así que pasen cinco años (As Soon as Five Years Pass) are deeply immersed in the surrealist current that emerged in Lorca's work following his trip to New York. El público, a work of great technical complexity, boldly explores a homosexual love story. In 1935, he published Doña Rosita la soltera (Doña Rosita the Spinster), a poignant drama about a spinster who awaits a fiancé who never arrives.

The Rural Trilogy: Masterpieces of Tragedy

His most celebrated works are included in the rural trilogy, consisting of Bodas de sangre (Blood Wedding), Yerma, and La casa de Bernarda Alba (The House of Bernarda Alba). These three plays share common features: women as protagonists, their setting in the Andalusian countryside, exploration of sexual themes, and a tragic ending. Blood Wedding, based on a true story, tells the tale of an impossible love that shatters social and family structures, thus being condemned to tragedy. Yerma addresses the issue of a barren woman who is driven to kill her husband after losing all hope. In The House of Bernarda Alba, Lorca masterfully combines his major obsessions, and his poetic language reaches an unsurpassed level of artistry.