Life Is a Dream Essay

Historical backgroundSpain was join after the Moorish occupation (711-1400s). However, it also left Spain as a cultural powerhouse in Europe which was still largely medieval in 15th century. Spanish philosophers and scholars exerted strong influence and their craftsmen were well known across Europe.Ferdinand and Isabella united Spain and by 1492 expelled the Moors entirely form the country. They were determined to Christianize Spain and instituted the Inquisition to hunt down and punish heretics/in addition to the Moors tey expelled all the Jews from the country.Influences from both the Moors and Catholics are unembellished in the Spanish drama Moorish heritage in the attitude towards women and honor Catholic influence-religious faith and doctrine-God and church.Spain was the dominant world power for al intimately devil centuries-1492 expansion and occupation of many lands in America, Africa parts of Europe-Portugal, Sicily, Netherlands. This gave the nation a sense of stability, confidence, energy-also evident in the theater.Religious drama-auto sacramentale- were extremely popular and performed regularly even so after they had become obsolete in the rest of Europe. Professional troupes were organized for this purpose-best writers were hired to write them. They were produced on carts (carros) roughly 16 feet long and 36 feet tall-thus having ii levels.Eventually they used 4 carros as a permanent stage-actors were reharsing for a long time and were presenting for the city council before the performance could get approved for the public. Autos were performed for two hundred years until the decline in mid 1700sBy the give notice of the 16th century-several dramatic geners appearedComedia-3 act dramas or comedies.Cape and Sword-about lowly gentlemen and Cuerpo (Noise) about kings and mythological characters, saints-actions in remote places.Lope de Vega1562-1635-One of the most famous and prolific playwrights-a nobleman, soldier, businessman, lover and final ly a priest. He wrote over 1600 plays some-450 have survived. Often compared to Shakespeare, he did not have the depth and insight into human nature-he preferred to end plays with happy endings-looking at the positive side.Pedro Calderon de La Barca1600-1681Wrote about 200 plays of which a 100 survived. He wrote Cape and Sword comedies-love triangles that are happily resolved. He also wrote serious plays about jealousy and honor. Most famously he wrote a number of autos-his were the most popular and the form declined after his death.LIFE IS A DREAM1636A philosophical allegory about the human situation and the mystery of purport. It is a tragi-comedy-has elements of both. tout ensemble major characters suspended between different duties-promises and expectations of what is to be done.Clotaldo has a duty to kill anyone who sees Segismundo but also can not kill his own filleas his duty is to protect her. Sgismundo kills his helpers the rebels as he has a duty to the kingdom. As in a classical comedy everyone gets married at the end but the couples are strange or unexpected-Segismundo marries Estrella instead of Rosaura-she marries Astolfo as he has ruined her honor.AnalogiesDreams to theater as theater to lifeDreams to life as life to afterlifeBasilio is rebuked in the play as he wants to find out his fate-only God knows your fate.Women were allowed on stage from the end of the 16th century. Cross-dressing was forbidden so Rosaura appears as a half-monster-half-male, half female clothing.