Six Plays Book

In addition to Honig's introduction to the plays, it should be noted that drama from the Spanish Golden Age (circa. 1500 to 1650) operated on some different premises than we, coming from the English Renaissance stock, may understand. In short:

> Story/plot is more important than character. There are some interesting characters in Spanish drama, but their motivations and quirks are not explored as deeply. They are subservient to the telling of a clear, cogent story.

> Theme (i.e., the moral lesson) is more important than the story. Good must triumph at the end, and each character must be rewarded or punished according to this moral code. As a result, endings may seem odd or capricious. Likeable characters who may lack full moral rectitude may be severely punished at the end of a play. And love matches that we think are more natural may not occur due to the higher sense of justice and nobility that envelopes the play.

Bentley's "The Great Playwrights" () includes an essay by A.A. Parker that provides a much more nuanced and detailed analysis of these differences. This is merely quick summary to help in the reading of these plays. (Particularly those by Calderon.) If you are interested in drama from Calderon and the Spanish Golden Age, I highly recommend reading Parker's essay.

These basic premises help explain some of the strangeness of Calderon's plays, but I can't say the understanding makes them more enjoyable. In the end, Calderon's sense of justice is harsh, unyielding and narrow. I felt - and I believe most people feel - that in some instances the greater spirit of justice is betrayed for the strict letter of the law.

That said, drama lovers should read/see the outstanding Life is a Dream and The Mayor of Zalamea. They rise above the narrow strictures of the Spanish Golden Age.


The Major of Zalamea **** - This is Calderon's second most famous play (in the English-speaking world, at least). And its reputation is well deserved. It is a rousing story of injustice set right, and of the lower class demanding respect from the noble class.

Similar to Lope de Vega's Fuente Ovejuna, this is the story of a noble captain (whose name, interestingly, is only mentioned once) who rapes the daughter of the town mayor. The mayor, and to some extent, the town, rises up to demand justice.

The mayor is a delightful and quirky character. His odd habit of treating people the way they treat him is very funny.

There's a lot handwringing and haranguing about "honor," but this is a very good play. I highly recommend it to drama (and revolution) lovers.


The Phantom Lady *** - This is a rather delightful farce, marred by more weird rules of honor. But the mistaken identities, secret doors and humorous clowns make it quite good. I think this would be very good on stage if you could rewrite some of the sweaty deliberations on honor.



Life Is a Dream ***** -- "Life Is a Dream" has always seemed like a rather banal name for this wonderfully intriguing play. It deserves a name more magical, more poetic and more intriguing that matches the many alluring complexities of this work.

A prince, imprisoned since birth by his father the king, wakes up one day in the royal court and is given the life of power and opulence he might have had. The next day, he wakes up in his prison cell again and is told the royal court was all a dream. When rescued by revolutionaries aiming to overthrow the king (and who tell him he is actually the prince), he is no longer sure what's a dream and what's real.

The simple charm and beauty of his response to this dilemma is what makes this play so wonderful. His acceptance of his fate, and his desire to make the best of the situation - dream or awake - is fascinating. The palpable wonder as he feels his way through an unsure existence is entrancing.

This is not a perfect play. The parallel plot is stiff and the ending is a bit unsatisfactory. But while this play has faults, it has a genius at its core - as well as wonderful language -- that more than compensates for the faults. I highly recommend this play.

The Crown of Absalom *** - The play, which hews very closely to the Biblical narrative, starts like a French tragedy, focusing on Amnon's impossible love for his half-sister Tamar. There is much fretting and whining, but that suddenly ends with Amnon's rape of his sister. From there, the play turns to Absalom's struggle for power (which his vengeance abets him). Here it becomes more of a historical drama with battles and political intrigue.

None of the characters really come to life. As far as I can tell, it provides no new insight into or interpretation of the story of David.