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A Study on Popular Success Factors Shown in Raquel, Huerta’s Neoclassical Tragedy

Yoon Yong-wook 1

1상명대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

Raquel, the representative work of Vicente García de la Huerta, an 18th century Spanish playwright achieved theater box-office success and popularity during staging. It has been evaluated by many scholars and critics as the ideal drama that faithfully followed the norms of neoclassicism, which pervaded the aesthetic mainstream at the time. However, the factor that enabled the popular success of this theater production was its ability to harmonize the themes or contents with a traditional play to meet the unique trends and tastes of Spanish viewers who were still appreciated earlier Baroque theater, rather than complying with external norms of neoclassicism such as principle of three unities or exclusion of comic figures etc. That is, Spanish viewers of the time thoroughly rejected theater of neoclassicists who attempted to unilaterally enlighten them while regarding the Baroque theater of earlier times as full of superstition and irrationality, illogic and disorder, regardless of their own dramatic taste. In this situation, Huerta’s tragedy Raquel, achieved the harmony of neoclassical tragedy and Spanish theatrical tradition. It thus emphasizes the importance of public support and sponsorship in dramatic success. Traditional dramatic elements shown in Raquel can be summarized as honor, poetic justice and love and these elements are major dramatic codes penetrating the entire Baroque theater of Spain.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.

This paper was written with support from the National Research Foundation of Korea.