A comparative study of Antonio Buero Vallejo and Alfonso Sastre
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Description
This study focuses on the parallel development of Antonio Buero Vallejo and Alfonso Sastre, two of Spain's most important contemporary dramatists. It is our purpose to compare the social and philosophical orientation of Buero and Sastre as well as their mutual interest in tragedy, its function in their theater, and the influence Bertolt Brecht has had on their plays. We begin by dividing their works into three chronological periods Chapter I deals with the plays of the first period which are characterized by a realistic approach in writing contemporary tragedies and are based upon the Aristotelian principles of unity of time, place, and action as well as the positive effect of catharsis Chapter II discusses the redirection evident in the plays of the second period. This new orientation is the result of the adaptation of various Brechtian alienation devices intended to provoke a critical attitude in the audience Chapter III centers on the participatory plays which fuse reality and illusion/reason and emotion. In these drama our perception of truth is obscured, yet the dramatists challenge us to find it by making us participants in a world of hallucinations Chapter IV concerns the development of each dramatist's theory of tragedy. Even when they acknowledge the influence of Brecht's anti-tragedies, their use of alienation devices is limited to heightening the rational perception of the themes, while they continue to use the identificaton devices of tragedy in order to increase the emotional impact of catharsis Chapter V treats the social themes found in each of the three chronological periods. As the plays evolve in the second and third periods, Buero becomes more daring, and his works begin to merge with Sastre's in their call for social and political reforms Chapter VI demonstrates that the position Buero and Sastre take regarding any compromise they may have to make in order to have their plays produced is reflected in the philosophical attitude of their protagonists. Both dramatists concur in emphasizing that the struggle for change must continue even when the goal is impossible to achieve