#El Conde Lucanor: Your Ultimate AP Spanish Literature Study Guide 🚀

Welcome! Let's dive into El Conde Lucanor and make sure you're feeling confident for your exam. This story might seem tricky at first, but we'll break it down together. Remember, it's a story within a story, and that's key!

#Context Behind El Conde Lucanor

Understanding the context is HUGE for scoring points on FRQs. It helps you set the scene in your intro and shows you get the big picture. Plus, it connects the text to its time period. Let's get into it!

#Author Background

Don Juan Manuel was a big deal in Spanish literature. He was super educated because he came from a wealthy family (his grandfather was Ferdinand III, and his uncle was Alfonso X). This meant he was very aware of the social and political issues of his time.

Excerpt from El Conde Lucanor, an anonymous manuscript reproduced in the 15th or 16th century. Image courtesy of Wikimedia.

#Time and Place

📜 Historical: The Middle Ages (from the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 to the 15th century). Key literary genres included epic, lyric, narrative, and theater.

🗺️ Geographic: The medieval world revolved around Western Europe (becoming Christian), Western European space (Christian and Slavic), and the expanding Islamic world.

Image courtesy of Nations Online.

#Societal Context

👑 Political: Kings made most decisions, supported by the nobility (monks, priests, churches). The Church had major political and economic power as Christianity grew.

🧑🏽‍🤝‍🧑🏻 Socio-economic: Agriculture was the base, with a feudal system. Royalty, nobility, and clergy owned land, while peasants (80% of the population) worked it with little power. The rich and the church controlled the economy.

🎭 Cultural: Religion was the law, with the Catholic Church setting precedents. Men were seen as heads of families, leading to machismo, where men were viewed as superior to women.

#Need to Know about El Conde Lucanor

Let's get into the nitty-gritty! Knowing the literary devices and vocab will help you nail those FRQs.

#Literary Devices and Quick Vocab

• Meta-: Greek for "after," "beyond," "on..."
• Moraleja [Moral]: The lesson or teaching of a story. Think of it as the 'take-away' message.💡
• Hyperbole: Exaggeration to emphasize a point.
• Fabula: A short, fictional story with a moral lesson, often using animals as characters.

#Characters