"¡España viva!"

This study concerns the personification España as she appears, briefly, in four saints plays by Lope de Vega. It presents an analysis of her function, character, and likely appearance. It argues that Lope deploys España -in the majority of cases in commissioned plays forming part of public festivals...

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Bibliographic Details
Author: Norton, Roy
Format: article
Publication Date:2017
Country:España
Institution:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repository:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:169847
Online Access:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/169847
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.5565/rev/anuariolopedevega.204
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Lope de Vega
Saints' plays
Spain
Personification
Allegory
Hispanicization
Comedias de santos
España
Personificación
Alegoría
Hispanización
Description
Summary:This study concerns the personification España as she appears, briefly, in four saints plays by Lope de Vega. It presents an analysis of her function, character, and likely appearance. It argues that Lope deploys España -in the majority of cases in commissioned plays forming part of public festivals of national significance- to advocate the hispanicization of the lives of non-Spanish saints and of universal Catholic dogma. The essay argues further that, influenced by the iconographic and emblematic traditions, España is characterized by Lope as courteous and genteel at home, but feisty and belligerent when faced with foreign adversaries, her appearance on stage probably reflecting aspects of that character.