PEDRO CALDERÓN DE LA BARCA: BIOGRAPHY AND WORKS - LITERATURE - 2024

Pedro Calderón de la Barca was one of the most distinguished Spanish writers that ever lived. If you want to talk about someone who lived, felt and starred as few of the most important moments of the so-called Golden Age of Spain in dramaturgy, that was Calderón.

He came from a family of noblemen, as the nobles were known at that time in Spain. His father was Diego Calderón, who held positions as secretary of institutions of legislation and collections of the Spanish State. His mother was Ana María de Henao, also a noblewoman, of German origin. He had five brothers, he being the third.

At the age of five he attended a school in the municipality of Valladolid; As a child, his academic performance was remarkable. From 1608 to 1613 he settled in the Imperial College of the Jesuit order, a place where marked religious aspects were impregnated that later had a notorious influence on his life and work.

Biography

He was born in 1600, on January 17, in the city of Madrid. His parents did not last long, his mother died when he was 10 years old and his father, five years later, being orphaned at the age of 15.

At that time he was studying at the University of Alcalá, where he had to suspend his stay to go to solve the pertinent matters to his father's will.

It should be noted that Calderón de la Barca's father was despotic and abusive, an authoritarian figure who managed to rule and mark the lives of his children even after death. The will ended up leaving them under the tutelage of their maternal uncle, Andrés Jerónimo González de Henao.

Studies

Calderón de la Barca had little of the designs of the paper that his father signed and decided to continue forging his life. In 1615 he went to the University of Salamanca, where he graduated in Canons and Civil Rights.

In 1621 and 1622 he was in poetry contests in honor of the image of San Isidro. He participated first for his beatification and later for his canonization, winning third place in one of the events.

Military career

Calderón de la Barca's life was not easy. He decided to put religious studies aside and devoted himself to military art.

In 1621 his brothers had to declare bankruptcy and sell one of their father's estates in order to support themselves. As if that had been not enough, the three brothers were involved in a murder, that of Nicolás Velasco. This situation led them to take refuge in the rooms of the Austrian ambassador.

The Calderón de la Barca brothers had to pay a prodigious amount of money to be able to get rid of the hardships that the murder charge brought with it.

As a result of this debt, Calderón de la Barca had to work for the Duke of Frías, and not as a playwright. Pedro had to travel as a soldier of the Duke through Europe between 1623 and 1625, between Luxembourg and northern Italy. His skills in battle served him to survive in different campaigns.

Not in vain, because of the above and his arts as a man of letters, Calderón de la Barca was given the honor of belonging to the noble knights of the Order of Santiago.

These were noblemen in charge of protecting the pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela, men of great respect in society.

First successes

Before going out to meet the Duke of Frías, at the age of 23 he presented what is known as his first comedy: Love, honor and power.

The work was exhibited in the royal palace to entertain the Prince of Wales, Charles, who was visiting in those days. The presentation of this courtly comedy was a total success.

Pedro, in the moments that they left him the arms, took the opportunity to write. Calderón de la Barca was not characterized by wasting his time, he always sought to express human realities through letters.

In 1626 Diego, the oldest of the three Calderón de la Barca brothers, managed to sell another part of the estate. With the money obtained, he got his brothers out of the difficulties acquired by that chapter of the homicide.

The 1620s meant for Calderón de la Barca a chance to show his gifts and make himself known for his work. It was the time of La dama duende, The site of Bredá and House with two doors. The applause followed him, as did the people, the nobles and the monarchy.

1630, the golden decade of Calderón

The 1630s began with a Pedro Calderón de la Barca who, at just 30 years old, had already consecrated himself. Gone are the economic problems; kings, nobles, and other citizens eagerly awaited the production of their intellect to fully enjoy life.

Works such as The Knights of Absalom - a biblical tragedy - and The Painter of His Dishonor - framed within the fight for honor - were part of the highlights of the 1930s.

History was not left behind in those moments of glory and lucidity of the young Calderón. In El Tuzaní de las Alpujarras he showed the zeal of the Moorish rebellion against King Felipe II and his military might.

In those years he also dealt with the issues that touched society so much. The mayor of Zalamea is a very clear example of what power does and how a citizen, for his honor, can fight with the authorities demanding justice.

However, among all the great work that Calderón managed to produce in this fruitful period, Life is a dream comes to be his most representative creation; in fact, it was arguably the greatest thing in his entire career. In that piece, Pedro sublimely addressed man, his freedom and the chains imposed by society.

Knighthood and debacle

So much achievement could not pass under the table before the eyes of the Spanish monarchy. Extremely proud of his dedication and dedication, in 1636 King Felipe IV granted him the consecrated habit of Knight of the Order of Santiago.

Unfortunately, after so much light in the creation, learning and recreation of the town by the work of Calderón, the 1640s arrived with dark omens. The unification of the kingdoms of Spain began to crumble and King Philip found himself with his hands tied.

Aragon, Portugal and Catalonia rebelled. In 1648 Flanders achieved independence and Spain began little by little to be separated from the European reality, from the hegemonic power to which it belonged.

Calderón took up arms again in the war against Catalonia around 1942. Three years later, on that same battlefield, he saw his brother José, an exceptional military man, die. A year later his son Pedro José was born, the following year Diego, his older brother, died.

Calderón's sadness

Calderón was plunged into a deep sadness, the lyrics did not sprout as before and, as much as he had wanted, it would have been of no use to the playwright if they did because at that time his passion was not enough to support himself.

Pedro José at that moment in Calderón de la Barca's life meant the absolute, necessary Christ, whom he clung to to move on. The theaters were closed by the moralists around 1644; Queen Isabel de Borbón died, also Prince Baltasar and there was no one who prevented the stage light from going out.

The theaters were closed for five years, and although they opened, the spiritual, moral and professional dejection that Calderón suffered at that time prevented him from writing again for a time. He had to become an employee of the Duke of Alba, whom he served as secretary, to obtain the necessary sustenance.

Calderón, the priest

The same spiritual crisis led him to approach religion and he was ordained as a priest in 1651. Two years before, King Felipe IV had married Mariana of Austria to strengthen ties. Peace with Catalonia was achieved, but none of this allowed Spain to return to its splendor of years ago.

Calderón, two years after being ordained a priest, assumed a chaplaincy. He carried out his position in Toledo, in the Cathedral of the New Kings. In those years the letters began to boil again in him, but with other nuances.

At that time, Calderón stood between two well-defined lines of presentation: he served the clergy at the Corpus Christi festivals and, at the same time, at the Buen Retiro Palace.

Resurgence

Already with half a century behind him, Pedro made his way through what was his most extensive creative stage. Its production context was conducive and allowed the writer to innovate, illuminating forms never before seen in the theater until then.

In the 1660s, Calderón was responsible for the writing and stage production of what were the most magnanimous sacred plays that have been presented on any stage to date. The scenic display was huge, people left moved by such a manifestation of perfection.

Pedro brought all the arts together on stage, brought them together in a harmonious way, ensuring that the message was faithfully transmitted to the lyrical receivers. Music, song, dance, painting and sculpture were found in a single plane spun by Calderón's lyrics.

However, despite so much dedication and trying to remain as faithful as he could to the sacred texts, he was also singled out and even accused of heretic. The religious conservatives of the time considered that some of his work did not comply with the appropriate canons.

Chaplain of kings

In 1663 King Felipe IV requested his services and assigned him the position of honorary chaplain. This designation caused Calderón to move from Toledo to Madrid, where he resided the last days of his life.

At the end of the year 1665, in September, Felipe IV died and Carlos II assumed the throne. The new monarch applauded and recognized the value and contributions of Calderón's work to the Crown and to Spain. In 1666 Pedro Calderón de la Barca was appointed Senior Chaplain of the Crown.

Its production did not cease, not even with the long years that weighed on it. In his last years he suffered financial losses that prevented him from supporting himself; As a result of this, a royal certificate was issued that awarded him the right to be able to supply himself as he liked in the castle.

At the age of 79 he began to write what was his last comedy. The work was called Hado and motto of Leonido and Mafisa, a piece that was presented a year later in the carnivals.

Death

Pedro Calderón de la Barca died on May 25, 1681. It was Sunday in Madrid. His coffin was carried as requested in his will: "Uncovered, in case it deserves to partially satisfy the public vanities of my wasted life."

He was dressed in the ornaments of the monks and dressed in the costume that Felipe IV gave him when he was named Knight of the Order of Compostela.

Calderón was given the highest honors in his farewell, although the austerity that he himself requested was maintained. His body rests in the chapel of San José, which belongs to the church of San Salvador.

Outstanding works

Below, within the extensive work of Pedro Calderón de la Barca, five works are shown for each genre that he covered:

Comedies

- The confused jungle, comedy of entanglement (1622).

- Love, honor and power, historical comedy (1623).

- The duende lady, comedy of entanglement (1629).

- The open secret, palatine comedy (1642)

- Beware of the still water, comedy of entanglement (1657).

Drama

- The constant prince, historical drama (1629).

- Life is a dream, tragic-comic existential drama (1635).

- The two lovers of the sky, religious drama (1640).

- The painter of his dishonor, drama of honor (1650).

- The daughter of the air, historical drama (1653).

Sacramental cars

- The Supper of King Baltasar (1634).

- The Grand Duke of Gandía (1639).

- The charms of guilt (1645).

- Immunity of the Sacred (1664).

- The Ark of God captive (1673).

References

1. Rodríguez Cuadros, E. (S. f.). Calderón and his time. Spain: virtual Cervantes. Recovered from: cervantesvirtual.com
2. Pedro Calderón de la Barca: life and work. (S. f.). (n / a): Castilian corner. Recovered from: rinconcastellano.com
3. Calderón de la Barca, Pedro (S. f.). Literary tale. (n / a): Writers. Recovered from: writers.org
4. Biography of Pedro Calderón de la Barca. (S. f.). (n / a): Biographies and lives. Recovered from: biografiasyvidas.com
5. López Asenjo, M. (2014). The theater of Calderón de la Barca. Spain: Master language. Recovered from: masterlengua.com