Spanish Golden Age
1580 - 1681
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Introduction
The ‘Golden Age’ ('Siglo de Oro') of Spanish literature describes the Early Modern period in Spain, circa 1580 to 1681. During this period, there was a flurry of artistic output, including the paintings of El Greco and Velázquez, and Miguel de Cervantes’ hugely popular, satirical novel, Don Quixote. Spanish theatre also enjoyed a golden age, rivalling contemporary Elizabethan and Jacobean dramatists in England. This guide explores the key playwrights of the era and the style and development of the popular dramas in Spain during this period.
Terminology
- Autos sacramentales: one-act, religious allegories.
- Comedia nueva: a new, three-act type of comedy promoted by Lope de Vega.
- Corrales de comedias: permanent theatres erected in Spain’s cities.
- Entremés: short, one-act farces to be performed between the acts of a full-length comedy.
- Siglo de Oro: the Spanish translation of ‘Golden Age’.
Key Dates & Events
- 1562 - 1635 - Life of Lope de Vega
- 1600 - 1681 - Life of Pedro Calderón de la Barca
Context & Analysis
Although theatrical performances were rife in Spain before the Golden Age, it was not until the prolific playwright, Lope de Vega, hit his stride in the last two decades of the sixteenth century that the era’s dramatic legacy was secured. Permanent playhouses ('corrales de comedias') were erected in Spain’s major cities, with Madrid’s first professional theatre, the
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Alexandra Appleton
Writer, editor and theatre researcher