Description
Obstinacy: Personal and National Identity in Lope de Vega
Book Summary
This essay offers an in-depth analysis of the work of Lope de Vega through the polysemic concept of "porfía" (obstinacy/perseverance), understood as constancy, sacrifice, courage, loyalty, love, and faith. Antonio Cortijo Ocaña explores how this term articulates personal and national identity in the theater of the "Phoenix of Wits," reclaiming the humanist idea of life as a courageous exercise of *virtus*. An essential read for understanding the ideological and aesthetic keys of the Spanish Golden Age.
What is it about?
The book examines the notion of "porfía" as the central pillar of Lope de Vega’s dramatic production. Cortijo Ocaña unravels how this word, loaded with nuances, encapsulates the values of heroic constancy, sacrifice for one's country, romantic fidelity, and unwavering faith. Through the analysis of various works by the playwright, the author shows how Lope constructs characters who embody this humanist virtue, fusing love and warfare, letters and arms, to forge both individual and collective identity. The work is situated at the confluence of literature, history, and the thought of the Golden Age, offering a novel interpretive key for understanding Lopean theater.
Main Themes
- The concept of "porfía" as a humanist value in the work of Lope de Vega.
- The construction of personal identity through constancy and sacrifice.
- Spanish national identity in Golden Age theater.
- The fusion of love and warfare (arms and letters) in Lopean dramaturgy.
- Humanist *virtus* as an exercise in self-improvement and fidelity.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is intended for students and specialists in Spanish Golden Age literature, researchers in classical theater, historians of culture and humanist thought, as well as readers interested in the work of Lope de Vega and the ideological keys that shaped 17th-century Spanish identity.
What this book contributes
- A new critical perspective on the theater of Lope de Vega based on the concept of "porfía."
- A rigorous analysis of the relationship between literature, personal identity, and nation-building.
- Conceptual tools to understand the relevance of humanism in Baroque dramaturgy.
- An updated reading of Lopean work that connects with debates on identity and virtue.
Technical Specifications
- Author: Cortijo Ocaña, Antonio
- Publisher: Anthropos Editorial
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: Literature and literary studies, literary studies: plays and playwrights, modern and contemporary fiction
- Collection: Cuadernos A Nuevos Territorios
- Binding: Other
- Publication date: January 2013
- Number of pages: 256
- Weight: 437 g
Editorial Review
This is a remarkably sound academic work that offers an original interpretive key to delve into the dramatic universe of Lope de Vega. Its focus on the concept of "porfía" allows the reader to rediscover the internal coherence of his theater and its relevance to the construction of identity in the Golden Age. Recommended for those seeking a specialized analysis that transcends mere literary commentary to delve into the history of ideas.