Spanish Prose Fiction and Theater: Literary Analysis

Prose Fiction

These were sentimental novels—epistolary love affairs full of symbols with tragic endings—exemplified by the work Cárcel de Amor by Diego de San Pedro. Additionally, there were romances (recounting the amorous adventures of a warrior and knight) with the following features:

• The knight-errant follows the codes of chivalry and is brave.
• The knight performs deeds beyond his means, triumphs, and possesses the gift of ubiquity.
• All knights have a lady whom they idolize, serve, and remain fully faithful to.
• The action takes place in exotic and distant lands, sometimes involving magical elements (wizards, spells), fantastic creatures, and monsters.

The most famous works were Tirant lo Blanc by Joanot Martorell and Amadís de Gaula by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo.

Theater in the Middle Ages

Before the 15th century, there are no references to theater of the time, except for the Auto de los Reyes Magos (12th century) with its religious themes. From the 15th century onward, there was more dramatic activity for Easter and Christmas holidays. Some works were represented at the birth of our Lord, such as those by Gómez Manrique. Juan del Encina, the father of Spanish theater, wrote pastorelas (brief dramatic pieces with religious, loving, and festive themes) using sayagués dialogue. Other notable authors included Lucas Fernández and Gil Vicente.

Exemplary Novels

Published in 1613, this collection consists of 12 short stories. They are classified into realistic and idealistic categories.

Key Features

• Complex plot: Follows Italian techniques and the idealization of negative reality.
• Organization: Narrative structure featuring a frame with a presentation of the initial situation. The action is divided into episodes, always ending in a situation that invites reflection.
• Types of structure: Chain (events happening sequentially) and Chinese box (episodes nested within others).
• Narrator: Different viewpoints provided by several individuals acting as narrators.
• Characters: Round characters with complexity and psychological development, offering a complete picture of society across different social classes.
• Themes: Philosophy, social criticism, cultural situations, and literary criticism.
• Style: Combines different levels of language, from elevated/worshipful to grassroots and vulgar slang.