PCA 260-MFL - Love and Marriage – 17th Century Spanish Drama

Min Units: 3
Max Units: 3
We will read six plays from the Spanish Golden Age that take place in the capital city of Madrid. We will study these dramas in the context of 17th-century Spain, a society marked by rapid urbanization, increased social mobility, and seismic shifts in cultural norms and personal identities and lifestyles. Theater played a central role in this society, mirroring the confusing and disorienting aspects of urban life, such as mishaps, mistaken identities, love triangles, and miscommunications. Our course will focus on the theme of love and marriage as sites of cultural anxiety at this critical juncture in the history of Spain. Students will write their own version of a Spanish “comedia” and work in groups to perform a scene from one of the plays we read in class. Additionally, they will keep a journal on how the theme of the class, “love and marriage,” is present in contemporary artistic expressions. (U) Occasionally