Abstract

This article discusses Greer’s controversial interpretation of La estatua de Prometeo’s political text, which argued that the protagonist, the enlightened Prometeo, is a dramatization of the Queen´s enemy, Don Juan José of Austria and that Calderón is suggesting him as the best option for governing the troubled Spanish Empire. This article provides an alternative interpretation that better aligns with the personal and political position of the Queen regarding the political events that are being dramatized and resolves the contradictions that arose from Greer’s interpretations. This, in turn, contributes to our understanding of the level of freedom of expression enjoyed by Golden Age playwrights.

Abstract

La estatua de Prometeo clearly illustrates the love of the artificial that Calderón exhibits in his fiestas cortesanas.The elevated style of the play, based on the principles of duality and contrast in various dimensions, aims to focus the audience’s attention on the extraordinary nature of the events presented on stage.The frequent references to the strangeness of the prodigios and portentos, and to the asombro and perturbación they caused the characters to feel, would provoke admiration and surprise in an audience invited to lose themselves in a fantastic universe of appearances and realities, lights and shadows. This paper strives to provide a stylistic and interpretative analysis and of La estatua de Prometeo, in which the symbolism, contrasts and claroscuro technique, along with other key elements such as staging, create a total spectacle.