Classical Works of Spanish Literature

During the Middle Ages the world was a reflection of the will of God, a design of the Providence that did not admit the possibility of change. Each element of this social order had to humbly its place in the world. Rebelling against the financial, sexual, political status quo, was deemed a criticism of the perfection of the divine creation. Immobilism was, therefore, absolute. It wasn’t until the Renaissance that such a state of affairs was questioned. In Spain, in 1499, a converted Jew (converso) wrote a book that will open the door to a different view of human demeanor in society, its understanding and interpretation of the inherited world and prompted the debate of the relationship between knowledge and experience. It was an enormous change, with fundamental implications in order to understand the subsequent course of History. The book in called Celestina and its author, Fernando de Rojas. From this moment on, literature took a different path from the one it had followed until then, and blossomed into what has been called the Golden Age of Spanish literature. In the course, Obras clasicas de la literature española, we will read and discuss the most famous texts of Classical Spanish literature. This will be done through a reading of the text in depth, but nevertheless adapting the classical text to our present sensitivity. In addition this course will help to better understand the language and history of Spain. (1 unit).

Required texts: Fernando de Rojas, La Celestina, ed. Patricia S. Finch (Newark: Delaware: Cervantes & CO., Juan de la Cuesta) (ISBN 1-58977-011-0); Lazarillo de Tormes, ed. Francisco Rico (Madrid: Cátedra) (ISBN 978-84-376-0660-6); Calderon de la Barca, La vida es sueño, ed. Ciriaco Moron (Madrid: Catedra); also electronic material provided at Middlebury.