Valle-Inclán and the Esperpento: Characterization and Style

Characters and Fantoches

More than 50 characters were created, inspired by real people, but what matters is the function of the figures in the play. Some characters escape the condition of human-sized puppets and charge, sobretodo Max. Max is a complex character who reaches moments of greatness; he mixes humor with complaint, and dignity with indignity. His replicas are of satire and unique depth. He emphasizes the growing anger against society, his sense of brotherhood toward the oppressed, and tenderness toward the prostitute.

Mr. Latino is a puppet, the dog that accompanies Max, the contrafigura of Sawa, a caricature of bohemianism, and miserable due to his disloyalty and vulgarization. The puppets are divided into various groups:

• The Burghers: Specifically criticized and caricatured.
• The Ridiculed: Don Gay, Don Filiberto, Soulinake, and followers of modernism.
• The Esperpentizados: The Pisa Well, the King of Portugal's goalkeeper, prostitutes, and gravediggers, who serve as a parody of Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Figures of Rubén Darío and the Marquis de Bradomín provide a counterpoint of fine arts life in the hollow. The technique of characterization is masterful; apart from their acts, it is based primarily on their speech, in addition to the stage directions, which draw attention to the characters or their activities.

Esperpento Art and Language

The distortion of reality is at the base of the hollow. The degradation of characters is manifested by frequent animalistic traits; men turn into dogs, camels, pigs, and puppets. Basically, it is the use of the contrast between the painful or the grotesque, as seen in the wake of Max.

A significant characteristic is the type of humor: poignant, sour laughter. This Risa Española serves as a comfort for hunger and ill-governance, acting as a devastating form of attack. The language astonishes by its richness and variety of registers employed. Different tones and patterns are used to characterize the figures and serve the purpose of parody or critical intention, including:

• Pedantic and pretentious language
• Literary phrases
• Formulaic or administrative expressions
• Colloquial and vulgar speech

Significance of Valle-Inclán and Contemporary Theater

Valle-Inclán is a great figure who managed to create an original Spanish art form that others would follow later. It was long thought that his barbaric and nonsensical comedies were unrepresentable. Valle-Inclán was a supporter of scenic mobility and roaming space. His theater is considered "theatrical release," which explains why its dimensions are as literary as the dialogue. Valle-Inclán was an avant-garde pioneer; his works remain a lesson in aesthetic, critical humanity, and timelessness.