Sophie Cox

Julie Wunsch

History of Theatre 2

Feb 8, 2023

1. In this time period of the Spanish Golden Age, around 1550-1688, we see that since

majority of the population cannot read or write, theatre is used as a public spectacle and

was the outlet to passionately engage the audience. This was during a time of the Spanish

inquisition, where the population gets an increase of art and literature, but more

importantly thousands of people are being executed in the name of Catholicism. Another

event specific to the development of theatre in Spain was that the audience were seeing

themselves on stage. The audience could relate to the stories being told, which were

sacred or secular dramas, or religious dramas that overlap with the idea of English

Morality plays during the English Renaissance we examined. That was until these plays

were outlawed for being unholy. This was mostly because the plays would open with big

dance and music numbers, and the audience were loud and rowdy. Women on the upper

deck of the audience seating would throw fruit towards the stage. The women during this

time could perform in these plays only sometimes, in places where there weren’t laws

against it. There were also themes of disillusionment, which I know is used in “Life is a

Dream”. I did read ahead a little, and know later when Segismundo is transported to the

palace to rule and then sent back, he believes it is all a dream. I did not get to the end, but

I am aware that this play moves on with that theme of disillusionment, and the idea of

dreaming is brought up a lot.

2. I do know now what happens next, but I didn’t know when I was in class. So, I am going

to copy and paste my answer I made today in class of what I thought happened next when

I didn’t know it yet. “I think what happens next is putting Segismundo on the throne

might go really well or really badly. He could either be extremely fit to be the king, or

very poorly considering he has been locked away his entire life. Granted he was taught

religion and right from wrong and knows general rules of society but doesn’t know what

it is like to be in society. He has been locked in chains, with the idea that he is a beast,

and he might doubt his abilities in being a king even though he could be a good one. I

don’t know how well someone would rule if the day prior he wished the storm would kill

him so he didn’t have to kill himself, and was going to use a sword to break free of his

chains he has been wearing his entire life.”