Glossary
Anti-hero
A central character in a story, film, or drama who lacks conventional heroic attributes but often possesses admirable qualities or achieves heroic feats.
Example:
Lázaro, in Lazarillo de Tormes, is an anti-hero who survives through trickery and adaptation rather than traditional bravery or virtue.
Artistic Patronage
The financial support provided by the royal court, nobility, and Church to artists, architects, and writers, stimulating cultural production.
Example:
The royal court's artistic patronage allowed painters like Velázquez to create iconic works that defined the era.
Carpe Diem
A Latin phrase meaning "seize the day," a literary theme encouraging one to enjoy the present and youth due to the fleeting nature of life and beauty.
Example:
Garcilaso de la Vega's Soneto XXIII is a quintessential example of carpe diem, urging a young woman to enjoy her beauty before time fades it.
Colonial Expansion (Spain)
Spain's overseas exploration and establishment of colonies, particularly in the Americas, which brought wealth and influenced its cultural output.
Example:
The vast riches acquired through colonial expansion funded much of the artistic patronage during the Golden Age.
Colonialism (in the "New World")
The policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically.
Example:
The Spanish colonialism in the Americas led to profound changes for both European and indigenous societies.
Cultural Clash
The conflict or tension that arises when different cultural values, beliefs, or practices come into contact, often during colonization.
Example:
The stark differences in worldview and values between the Spanish conquistadors and the indigenous Mexica people, as seen in Visión de los vencidos, exemplify cultural clash.
Cultural Shift (Renaissance)
A significant change during the Renaissance from solely religious themes in art and literature to more secular and humanistic ones.
Example:
The move from depicting only saints to portraying everyday life and human emotions in paintings illustrates this cultural shift.
El Renacimiento (The Renaissance)
A transformative period in Europe (15th-16th centuries) marked by a renewed interest in classical art, literature, and philosophy, emphasizing humanism.
Example:
During El Renacimiento, artists like Leonardo da Vinci created masterpieces that celebrated human form and intellect.
Elegía (Elegy)
A mournful, melancholic, or plaintive poem, especially a lament for the dead or a funeral song.
Example:
"Se ha perdido el pueblo mexica" from Visión de los vencidos functions as an elegía, expressing profound sorrow for the fallen Aztec empire.
Exploration and Conquest (Spanish)
The historical period of Spanish voyages to and military subjugation of indigenous populations in the Americas.
Example:
Hernán Cortés's Segunda carta de relación details his experiences during the exploration and conquest of the Aztec Empire.
Extraction of Resources
The process by which Spain exploited the natural wealth, primarily gold and silver, from its American colonies.
Example:
The massive extraction of resources from the Americas enriched Spain but devastated indigenous communities and their lands.
Greco-Roman Revival
The rediscovery and renewed appreciation of ancient Greek and Roman texts, art, and philosophical ideas during the Renaissance.
Example:
Garcilaso de la Vega's Soneto XXIII incorporates classical allusions and poetic forms, demonstrating the Greco-Roman Revival in Spanish literature.
Habsburg Empire
The powerful European dynasty that ruled Spain during much of its Golden Age, extending its influence across vast territories.
Example:
Under the Habsburg Empire, Spain became the dominant power in Europe, impacting trade and culture globally.
Humanism
A key philosophy of the Renaissance that shifted focus from divine intervention to human will, potential, and achievement.
Example:
The emphasis on individual thought and earthly experience in Lazarillo de Tormes reflects the growing influence of humanism.
Impact on Indigenous People
The devastating effects of Spanish colonization on native populations, including disease, violence, and cultural disruption.
Example:
Visión de los vencidos vividly portrays the tragic impact on indigenous people through their own testimonies of loss and suffering.
Imperialism
A policy of extending a country's power and influence through colonization, use of military force, or other means.
Example:
Hernán Cortés's Segunda carta de relación clearly demonstrates the ideology of imperialism through his justifications for conquest and dominance.
Individualism (as a literary theme)
A literary theme focusing on the unique experiences, struggles, and self-reliance of a single character, often an anti-hero.
Example:
Lázaro's journey of survival and his reliance on his own cunning in Lazarillo de Tormes perfectly illustrates the theme of individualism.
Literary Developments (Golden Age)
The significant advancements in literary forms and themes during the Golden Age, including the rise of the sonnet and the novel.
Example:
The emergence of the picaresque novel, exemplified by Lazarillo de Tormes, was a key literary development of the Golden Age.
Memento Mori
A Latin phrase meaning "remember that you must die," a literary or artistic theme reflecting on the inevitability of death and the transient nature of earthly life.
Example:
The warning about fading beauty and the passage of time in Soneto XXIII subtly incorporates the theme of memento mori.
Picaresque novel
A genre of prose fiction that originated in Spain, characterized by an episodic narrative about the adventures of a "pícaro" (rogue or anti-hero) who uses wit to survive in a corrupt society.
Example:
Lazarillo de Tormes is considered the foundational picaresque novel, detailing Lázaro's journey through various masters and social strata.
Spain's Golden Age (Siglo de Oro)
A period of immense artistic and literary output in Spain (late 15th to early 17th centuries), fueled by national unification and colonial expansion.
Example:
Miguel de Cervantes wrote Don Quijote during Spain's Golden Age, a time of unparalleled literary flourishing.
Unification (of Spain)
The process, primarily under the Catholic Monarchs, that consolidated various kingdoms into a single Spanish state, marking the beginning of the Golden Age.
Example:
The unification of Spain under Ferdinand and Isabella laid the groundwork for its rise as a global power.