Philip B. Pedraza Jiménez, Sex, power and justice in the English comedy (four bays) , Vigo, Editorial Academy of Hispanics, 2007, 149 p. ISBN 978-84-935541-9-4.
The book I am about to outline has two virtues that make him a rarity among the many literary criticism that thrive in our time: 1) These ideas -Political, social, religious, ethical, moral, which are present in the various materials he plays, 2) is close to the English comedy from a political perspective, but not limited ideologically.
In the work of Pedraza, literature is considered a vehicle of transmission of ideas, as well as the author says. While it is true that the playwrights are not philosophers, they are embedded in a socio-political structure that determines, in part, the content of his works: "No need to remember that playwrights do not engage in political philosophy and most are not interested or too little nor too much to this science, but live, as its public, in society and can not help but be affected by states of opinion, values \u200b\u200band prejudices of the time they write. Sometimes they even try to mold their works with political and social ideas of the audience "(Pedraza, 2007: 137).
tests treated comedies - The Marquis of Mantua, parenting There are king , justice in piety , The Catalonia Cain, Absalom's hair and a series of comedies commanders-reach brilliance and sharpness that leaves the reader wishing that the book does not reach its end. It is very difficult today find jobs that are not limited to count over and over again in a thousand different ways, the argument works, stylistic resources or formal arrangement. It is true that these jobs are necessary, but it is also true that English literature contains ideas and their manifestations are addressed first order problems, social and political: "Lope is facing, through the reasoning of the brothers, the arbitrary tyrannical and the monarchy gladly submitted to the legal system "(Pedraza, 2007: 29). From all this paints a wonderful picture of the teacher's pamphlet Pedraza. Especially interesting
it shows the continuing partnership established the author between tragedy and political conflict, regardless of the resolution given to the conflict, as well as shows the last chapter, which presents an evolution of the possibilities offered resolute that the different authors in different times studied. Their analysis is meticulous in the highest degree, for example, when they ruled the political dialectic works as The commanders of Cordoba: "But internally, the offenders of Cordoba twenty-four whether or not dramatic commanders have limited visibility . is more strongly emphasize other features, for example, Jorge and Fernando are "Nephews of bishop. "features the work not the abuse of a social group over another, but the clash between members of the same estate, to make matters worse related to each other: Dona Beatriz, the adulterous wife, a cousin of the commanders" (Pedraza, 2007 : 70).
The author covers various English comedy whose central axis revolves around the relationship between power, gender and justice. In this regard, studies the evolution of the field of conflict resolution and taking into account dramatic socio-political changes that operate in different realms, beginning with Philip II, and taking into account key authors in the development of political ideas, like St. Thomas, Machiavelli, Mariana ... If the first comedies were trying to highlight the need to strive for justice, punishment and reparation, only possible in part on the harm suffered by victims, all respond to the social interest to show that the outrages committed by the nobility would have a strong legal response by the monarchy. However, one consequence of this reassertion of royal power was the consolidation of absolute monarchy: "Of course, not revolutionary, something unthinkable in the hegemonic power and popular theater, but maintainers of a system-believed-could risk if not curbed certain abuses "(Pedraza, 2007: 75). This explains, in the successful author's thesis that playwrights such as Guillén de Castro and Francisco de Rojas Zorrilla had not as easy to place the scene in the execution of a prince, for many crimes committed and that these were very horrible case of fratricide: "As I tried to explain, playwrights echo of a political paradox: enhancing absolutism (which involves the abolition of exceptional arrangements and special courts) drives at the same time, except on real people , to be guarantors of the general law, even when the infringing individual "(Pedraza, 2007: 149).
The events in France with the attack against Henry IV, most controversial ever made the decisive Renaissance doctrines advocated the right of people to tyrannicide. The English comedy appears as one more piece to be considered in the study of these important aspects of political philosophy, especially those comedies, such as Lope, started from the premise to conquer and to please the audience, thus his playing can give us important data about the prevailing mentality in the public at the time.
Especially interesting is the analysis that the author of Absalom's hair, whose interpretation, drifts against Freudian and psychological, opt for a treatment of sexual violence as a constituent part of a political dialectic. Uncontrollable impulses of the protagonists of the analyzed works acquired in the interpretation of socio-Pedraza address fundamental policy that transcends the traumatic experience, not cancel it as psychological experience has limits: "The core Tamar's Revenge tirsiana Sexual violence is Amun, who is a victim of his sister Tamar. This experience conflict could lead to a psychological drama, Freudian, as seen from the unique perspective of the character disturbed and unable to overcome their problems experience. In The hair ... just do not find that inner reality, but also its projection on a social and political environment in which personal desires are lawless and which dominate decisions affects the maximum representative of authority: the king David "(Pedraza, 2007: 87). The readings performed in the plays of Lope, Castro, Rojas and Calderon always show consideration of the crime of abuse he has estates, political reaffirmation strategy (in the case of violation of the concubines of King David that Absalom done to deter the people of any fears you might have entertained about a reconciliation of the prince his father), or conflict that requires a judicial action which undermines the family of one who has to ensure justice. The dialectic between the familiar moral and legal ethics is brilliantly expressed in the literary analysis of Pedraza, who demonstrates a mastery of the concepts of ethics, morality and law. Beyond the poetic justice in these dramas was in play a series of reflections on the limits of political power, the border between the tyranny of the monarchy, the need to compensate the victims of the law as maximum articulation of civil order, the desirability or otherwise of the imposition of punishment for certain members society linked to the monarchy ... It is, in short, discussions have not disappeared from our modern societies, which thus acquire the works analyzed its presence. Pedraza not perform an archaeological survey of the English golden comedy but recover key ideas in these works of political philosophy of all time:
Especially interesting is the analysis that the author of Absalom's hair, whose interpretation, drifts against Freudian and psychological, opt for a treatment of sexual violence as a constituent part of a political dialectic. Uncontrollable impulses of the protagonists of the analyzed works acquired in the interpretation of socio-Pedraza address fundamental policy that transcends the traumatic experience, not cancel it as psychological experience has limits: "The core Tamar's Revenge tirsiana Sexual violence is Amun, who is a victim of his sister Tamar. This experience conflict could lead to a psychological drama, Freudian, as seen from the unique perspective of the character disturbed and unable to overcome their problems experience. In The hair ... just do not find that inner reality, but also its projection on a social and political environment in which personal desires are lawless and which dominate decisions affects the maximum representative of authority: the king David "(Pedraza, 2007: 87). The readings performed in the plays of Lope, Castro, Rojas and Calderon always show consideration of the crime of abuse he has estates, political reaffirmation strategy (in the case of violation of the concubines of King David that Absalom done to deter the people of any fears you might have entertained about a reconciliation of the prince his father), or conflict that requires a judicial action which undermines the family of one who has to ensure justice. The dialectic between the familiar moral and legal ethics is brilliantly expressed in the literary analysis of Pedraza, who demonstrates a mastery of the concepts of ethics, morality and law. Beyond the poetic justice in these dramas was in play a series of reflections on the limits of political power, the border between the tyranny of the monarchy, the need to compensate the victims of the law as maximum articulation of civil order, the desirability or otherwise of the imposition of punishment for certain members society linked to the monarchy ... It is, in short, discussions have not disappeared from our modern societies, which thus acquire the works analyzed its presence. Pedraza not perform an archaeological survey of the English golden comedy but recover key ideas in these works of political philosophy of all time:
"Clearly, the legitimate desire of the victims, and should be for all of society is that crime does not meet the objectives for which it was born: out of respect for those who suffered and essential social prophylaxis. [...] Contrary to his most intimate and vital interests, Emperor remains the fundamental assumption that restorative justice is a cornerstone of social structure "(Pedraza, 2007: 50, 51).
In short, a great example of what is the treatment of literature if we go beyond hackneyed interpretations that strive to reduce it to a mere formality, beautiful, yet lacking in ideas. A work which offers a delightful read that will not disappoint anyone and has a wealth not only for philologists, but for all those interested the literary development of the most fundamental and crucial ideas in the history of thought and political history of Spain and Europe. An essential work claiming the political dialectic that plays staged, and since its birth in Athens Pisistratus. In short, essential reading.
Violeta Varela Álvarez.
University of Salamanca.
