Spanish Dramatists of the Golden Age

The 16th and 17th centuries were the most fruitful periods for Spanish literature. The Golden Age of Spanish drama extends from the close of the 15th century to the death of Calderon in 1681. During that time, Spanish playwrights looked to Italy for inspiration, but from the beginning they sought to avoid slavish imitation of classical and Italian drama. Instead, these playwrights attempted to give Spanish drama its own identity. This reference includes alphabetically arranged essays for 19 of the most important Spanish dramatists of the Golden Age. Each essay provides extensive biographical information, a critical discussion of the playwright's dramatic production, a critical analysis of one major play, and a bibliography of primary and secondary sources. The volume closes with a selected general bibliography on the most important drama of this period.