Showing posts with label golden age theatre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label golden age theatre. Show all posts
Monday, January 20, 2014
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Golden Age Theatre: A Review
Some questions/prompts to review Golden Age theatre.
-
La
estética literaria del teatro de Lope y su comedia
nueva: teoría, temas, y técnicas
o
Should mix some aspects of old comedy with some
that are more popular
o
Transition from 4 acts to 3
o
Interesting topics: Theme of honor is always
good
o
Aim to please the vulgo
o
Make it realistic – mix of tragic and comic
elements; speech realistic to characters
o
Surprise ending
o
Polimetría
-
¿Tenía
razón Lope de Vega al titular su tratado poético “Arte nuevo”? Base su ensayo
en textos teóricos y en dos obras dramáticas del autor.
o
Not necessarily, since some things he said
should be done were already happening. He was just the one to pull it all
together.
o
Ex:
Lope de Rueda – Aceitunas/Paso VII… already aimed toward vulgo, already
realistic/vulgar language
-
La
representación de la historia en el teatro de Lope y Cervantes. Base su
discusión en dos obras concretas.
o
El
cerco de Numancia – based on popular myth
o
El
caballero de Olmedo – based on popular story
o
Both
are tragedies
o
In both, we know what will happen at the end
-
El
amor en la comedia nueva. ¿Qué es? ¿Qué diferentes tipos de amor y qué
actitudes diferentes sobre el amor se representan en el mundo dramático de Lope
y Calderón?
o
Vida es sueno – Rosaura and Segismundo; kind of purifying love
o
Castigo sin venganza – amor cortés
o
Caballero
de Olmedo – love contributes to tragic flaw of arrogance??? (maybe?)
-
La
figura del gracioso en el teatro del Siglo del Oro. Características genéricas y
funciones del personaje. Elija como punto de partida para su ensayo 2 de las
obras siguientes…
o
Often voice of reason/conscience, says things
that others can’t get away with
o
Frequently a slightly warped mirror of amo
o
Caballero de Olmedo – Tello
o
Castigo sin venganza – Batín
o
Burlador de Sevilla – Catalinón
-
El
tema de la justicia en el teatro del siglo de oro. Base su discusión en dos
obras concretas.
o
Castigo sin venganza – justicia that’s a bit
warped, questionable sense of honor
o
Alcalde de Zalamea – Pedro Crespo acts with
justice even though he’s lower class
o
La vida es sueno – rey’s actions can’t go against God. YET, king
can’t be punished by men, only by God. Segis will be rewared by God for
acting judiciously on Earth.
o
-
El
conflicto entre libre albedrío y predestinación en el drama del siglo de oro.
Base su discusión en dos de las obras dramáticas siguientes: El burlador de Sevilla, La vida es sueño, y El gran teatro del mundo
o
Background
§
1545-1563: Council of Trent
§
1588 – Salamanca debates: Dominicans
(predestination) vs. Jesuits (Luis de Molina, free will) – no resolution to the
debate, Pope: “stop talking about it”
o
El
burlador de Sevilla
§
“tan largo me lo fiais” – arrogance, thinks he
can live badly and then repent at the very end of things
§
Don Juan’s choices condemn him; he is condemned
for his arrogance
§
Don Juan chooses to sin, thus he has free will,
and he is condemned because he uses this free will badly
o
La vida es sueño
§
“God is God. Whether asleep or awake, one must
strive for goodness”
§
Predestination because you have to stay within
the role that you are born into, but you have the free will to act how you wish
within that role (good or bad)
o
Teatro del mundo
§ Libre albedrío superior a las pasiones
humanas
§
Predestination because you have to stay within
the role that you are born into, but you have the free will to act how you wish
within that role (good or bad) ----- characters are assigned roles by God
-
Honor
en Lope y Calderón. Constantes y variantes. Base su discusión en dos obras
concretas.
o
Big picture:
§
Honor is a base theme of comedia nueva (he even
says that Arte nuevo de hacer comedias), very popular theme
§
Changing vision of honor and society ---
transition over time (honor vertical vs. honor horizontal)
§
Lope doesn’t get into honor horizontal vs.
vertical, doesn’t present anything revolutionary, just dramatizes the present
tension
§
Tradición teólogica vs. civilista --- how the
king is seen. Teologica – king is given power by God. Civilista – pueblo gives
king power, so pueblo can overrule a bad king.
o
Castigo sin venganza (Lope) ---- about a leader’s behavior
§
Main thing: father’s final act of retribution
against his son --- looks like honor to the pueblo, but it’s actually
dishonorable because he’s lying, although the duque does it because he has been
dishonored
§
Father’s upper class/noble but still not very
honorable since he’s got some shady stuff going on (gambling/mujerero)
o
Caballero del Olmedo (Lope)
§
Honor’s what damns protagonist because he
decides to guard his honor rather than follow common sense to save himself
(tragic flaw)
o
Alcalde de Zalamea (Calderón) ----- about a leader’s
behavior
§
Honor horizontal (everyone) vs. honor vertical
(just the upper class)
§
Pedro Crespo – doesn’t want “honor postizo”;
honor of the lower class, everyone has honor – honor is based on actions rather
than social class
§
Pedro momentarily assumes the rhetoric of
vertical honor when he offers the violator Alvaro a big dowry to marry his
dishonored/raped daughter; but Alvaro refuses so Pedro’s even more pissed off
and ultimately dishonored even further (his family’s in an even worse position)
§
Pedro Crespo is an honorable leader because he acts according to
justice (his actions are approved by the king)
o
La vida es sueño (Calderón)
o
El gran teatro del mundo (Calderón)
§
Honor horizontal – pobre still has honor as long
as he does good, and at the end everyone is equal in front of God
-
¿Cómo
se manifiestan las preocupaciones sociológicas y políticas en la comedia de
Lope, Tirso, y Calderón?
o
Castigo sin venganza (Lope)
§ Honor
§ Corrupt leader / dishonorable leader
o
La vida es sueño (Calderón)
§ Religious / philosophical / moral stuff
§
King isn’t necessarily 100% awesome – bc he goes
against God by imprisoning his son (against assigned social role – his son
should be prince)
o
El burlador de Sevilla (Tirso)
§
King is manipulated/burlado by Don Juan
§
~ religious message --- you are judged according
to your actions
§
He mocks women across society
§
Society represented in a drama. It’s a corrupt
society, friends mock friends, men mock women, no one’s safe, oh no!
-
El
problema de la tragedia en el teatro español: su relación con el tema del
honor.
o
El cerco de Numancia
Caballero de Olmedo – honor is his tragic flaw
El alcalde de Zalamea – Calderón de la Barca (~1636)
La obra en general
-
Una de las obras más conocidas y
representadas del Siglo de Oro de la literatura española.
-
Se encuadra dentro de la literatura
barroca y se clasifica como un drama de honor.
-
Trata de contraponer, al reflejo de las
preocupaciones de la Edad Moderna, el individuo al poder político.
-
También se enfrenta el honor estamental
a la virtud personal y por último, sociológicamente personifica el equilibrio
de poder en el municipio moderno.
Personajes principales
-
El rey, don
Felipe II
-
Don Lope de Figueroa
-
Don Álvaro de Ataide, capitán
-
La Chispa – acompanante femenina
-
Pedro Crespo
– labrador rico, luego alcalde de Zalamea
-
Juan – hijo
de Pedro Crespo
-
Isabel – hija
de Pedro Crespo; secuestrada por don Álvaro
-
Inés – prima
de Isabel
-
Don Mendo –
hidalgo
-
Nuño – criado
de don Mendo
Argumento
La obra
narra el drama vivido en la localidad extremeña de Zalamea de la Serena al
pasar las tropas españolas con motivo de la guerra de Portugal. El capitán Don
Álvaro de Ataide, personaje de extracción nobiliaria es alojado en la casa del
labrador rico de la localidad, Pedro Crespo, a cuya hermosa hija Isabel
secuestra y ultraja. Cuando Pedro Crespo intenta remediar la situación, ofrece
bienes a Don Álvaro para que se case con Isabel, a la que rechaza Don Álvaro
por ser villana, es decir de clase inferior. Este desprecio afrenta
definitivamente el honor de toda la familia de Pedro Crespo. En pleno trauma
familiar, es elegido alcalde de Zalamea y siguiendo una querella cursada a la
justicia por la ultrajada Isabel, aún sin poseer jurisdicción sobre el militar,
Pedro Crespo prende, juzga y hace ajusticiar a Don Álvaro dándole garrote (cudgel/strangle). La trama se resuelve,
cuando el Rey Don Felipe II, revisa la decisión del alcalde, la ratifica y
premia su decisión nombrando a Pedro Crespo alcalde perpetuo de Zalamea.
Temas
-
Social
class, relationships between nobles and working class
-
Gender
/ male-female relations
Nature of leadership, who should be leader, how a
leader gives justice
La vida es sueño (1635) – Pedro Calderón de la Barca
Sobre el dramaturgo y la
obra
-
Spain,
1600-1681
-
Catholic/Jesuit
influence
-
One of Spain’s most famous playwrights –
alongside Lope de Vega
-
First published in 1635 (or possibly early in
1636), it is a philosophical allegory regarding the human situation and the
mystery of life. Focusing on the fictional Segismundo, Prince of Poland, the
play has as its central theme the conflict between free will and fate. The play
remains one of Calderón's best-known and most studied works.
Characters
-
Rosaura – appears on scene dressed as a man,
later she disguises herself as Estrella’s servant; she wants revenge from
Astolfo
-
Clarín – Rosaura’s servant
-
Segismundo – king’s son; has lived imprisoned in
the tower due to king
-
Clotaldo – Rosaura’s father; has raised
Segismundo
-
King Basilio – old and wise king; Segismundo’s
father; believes in astrology and predestination and decided to imprison
Segismundo
-
Astolfo – Duke, the named heir of the king; is
set to marry Estrella but dishonored Rosaura
-
Estrella – other named heir of the king, is
going to marry Astolfo
Relationships between the characters
-
Rosaura was the lover of Astolfo.
-
Estrella is the current lover of Astolfo.
-
Rosaura is Clotaldo’s daughter.
-
Clotaldo is loyal to the king even though he has
raised Segismundo.
-
Segismundo was interested in Rosaura, but he
eventually marries Estrella.
Themes / Main ideas
-
Truth vs. Appearances/lies/deceit/duplicity
o
Rosaura’s dress as a man, later disguise as a
servant
o
Basilio’s lie that Segismundo died at birth
o
Basilio tests Segismundo
-
Dream vs. reality
o
Connection of dream with conversion/change
-
Free will (Catholics) vs.
Predestination/Predetermination (Protestants)
o
Free will – Segismundo can be a good king
o
Predestination – Segismundo will be a bad and
violent king due to astrology
-
Violence
-
Betrayal vs. loyalty
o
Clotaldo betrays Segismundo
o
Clotaldo betrays Rosaura
o
Segismundo betrays the king
o
Questions of loyalty – are the people loyal to
the law or to the king?
-
Honor
-
Lesson for the audience
o
There are consequences for everything we do
o
Shouldn’t rebel against authority
o
“hay
libertad en la vida – confianza que todo será como debe al final..
predestinación”
Very brief summary
-
First Act: Rosaura arrives on the scene.
Introduction of Segismundo in the tower and of Clotaldo as Rosaura’s father.
The king Basilio wants Segismundo to be prince for a day (to prove that he is a
violent monster).
-
Second Act: Segismundo has his day as prince and
is very violent; his whims are law. He kills a servant and tries to rape
Rosaura.
-
Third Act: The people rebel against the king
with Segismundo; Segismundo has to enact justice against the people.
More detailed summary
Act I
King Basilio of Poland has kept his son, Prince Segismundo,
secretly imprisoned since birth, telling his subjects that the prince died in
childbirth. The reason is that the king, who is an erudite of astrology, has
accepted the prophesy of an oracle that the prince would bring disaster to the
country and to King Basilio himself. Telling his subjects that the boy died
soon after birth, the king has keep him hidden in a tower under the guard of
his advisor, Clotaldo. Now Segismundo has grown up. Rosaura, a lady of noble
birth, arrives as an attendant of Princess Estrella, the king's niece.
Disguised as a man of war, she and her companion, Clarion, stumble across
Segismundo's prison tower. They converse with him, mentioning that they seek
revenge. The prince confesses that he, too, thinks of revenge. Clotaldo arrives
and, recognizing that Rosaura's sword belongs to someone to whom he owes a
favor, he guarantees safe passage for her to Warsaw.
Act II
The King wishes to reveal his son as rightful heir to the
throne to test if the predictions were right or there is a chance that
Segismundo could be a good king. The King has Segismundo drugged and taken to
the palace so that, if Segismundo does not pass the test, he can be taken back
to his prison and could be persuaded that it was all a dream. The Prince is
brought to court, told about his royal heritage, and presented with royal
power. He meets his cousin, Astolfo, the Duke of Muscovy, and their cousin,
Princess Estrella, finding an instant attraction to the latter. Seeing his
father and jailor, however, makes him violent, and he rages like a tyrant,
killing a servant; attempting to rape Rosaura; injuring the King's advisor,
Clotaldo, when he comes to help his daughter; and involving himself in a sword
fight with Astolfo. Horrified and certain of the truthfulness of the dire
prophecy, the King has Segismundo drugged again and returned to his tower
prison. With Segismundo out of the picture, the king allows Astolfo to court
Estrella, since with their union they would share the succession to the throne
instead of competing for it. Astolfo recognizes Rosaura (who is going by the
name Astrea), whom he abandoned to try to gain the Polish crown, and they break
off their relationship for good. Upon waking, Segismundo mourns, convinced by
Clotaldo that the previous day's events had been nothing more than a dream.
Segismundo declares: "All of life is but a dream,/And dreams are only
dreams."
Act III
While he remains oblivious in his cell, Rosaura alerts the
people that they have a prince, and many rebel, breaking him out of his prison
tower, although at first comically mistaking Rosaura's companion, Clarion, for
the prince. Though Segismundo rejoices, he cannot be sure whether this new
development is, in fact, reality or still just a dream. Segismundo allows the
king and Cotaldo their freedom. Rosaura wants to kill Astolfo, telling her
reasons first to her father and then to Segismundo. The rebels persist on
behalf of the prince, and the King raises an army of the people. The rebels defeat
the King, and when the two encounter each other face to face, Basilio throws
himself at his son’s feet, expecting the parricidal prophecy to be fulfilled.
Instead of killing him, Segismundo forgives him. In light of the generous
attitude of the Prince, the King proclaims Segismundo heir to his throne after
all. As King, Segismundo decides that Astolfo must keep his promise to marry
Rosaura to preserve her honor. At first Astolfo is hesitant because she is not
of noble birth, but when Clotaldo publicly reveals that she is his daughter,
Astolfo consents. Segismundo then claims Estrella in marriage himself.
Segismundo resolves to live by the motto that "God is God,"
acknowledging that, whether asleep or awake, one must strive for goodness.
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