Masculinities in the plays of Pedro Calderón de la Barca.
type: CreativeWork
description: The dissertation demonstrates how Calderón's plays critique early modern constructions of masculinity. As no historical studies based on gender theory have been made of Golden Age masculinities, the first two chapters, roughly one third of the dissertation, address this lack. Evidence is drawn from various sources, including manuals written specifically to aid the education of young males, the writings of politicians and arbitristas on the needs of Spanish society, journals of those involved in the administration of justice, and the conclusions of modern historians. Chapter one begins by considering the theoretical justification behind the study of masculinities, placing it in the context of feminist scholarship. It then investigates theoretical explanations for the construction of gender difference using theories derived from anthropology. The plurality of gender constructs is acknowledged and explored by an examination of how different constructions of masculinity have developed at different points in history, often remaining in conflict within the same society. Chapter two moves on to consider how the constructions of gender described in chapter one were maintained in sixteenth century Spain. First an examination of conduct manuals demonstrates the tension between beliefs in gender as social construct and as natural essence in the early modern period. It is then shown how society polices gender boundaries by constructing masculinity in opposition to femininity, youth and homosexuality, with examples of how official and unofficial rules and discourse punished deviance. The chapter concludes with an examination of gender and sexuality in the context of the Golden Age popular theatre. The discussion of Calder6n's work begins in chapter three. Following on from conclusions reached in chapter two regarding the relationship between the theatre and society, theories of the male gaze are seen to be particularly relevant to masculinity and are applied to Dario todo y no d…
abstract: The dissertation demonstrates how Calderón's plays critique early modern constructions of masculinity. As no historical studies based on gender theory have been made of Golden Age masculinities, the first two chapters, roughly one third of the dissertation, address this lack. Evidence is drawn from various sources, including manuals written specifically to aid the education of young males, the writings of politicians and arbitristas on the needs of Spanish society, journals of those involved in the administration of justice, and the conclusions of modern historians. Chapter one begins by considering the theoretical justification behind the study of masculinities, placing it in the context of feminist scholarship. It then investigates theoretical explanations for the construction of gender difference using theories derived from anthropology. The plurality of gender constructs is acknowledged and explored by an examination of how different constructions of masculinity have developed at different points in history, often remaining in conflict within the same society. Chapter two moves on to consider how the constructions of gender described in chapter one were maintained in sixteenth century Spain. First an examination of conduct manuals demonstrates the tension between beliefs in gender as social construct and as natural essence in the early modern period. It is then shown how society polices gender boundaries by constructing masculinity in opposition to femininity, youth and homosexuality, with examples of how official and unofficial rules and discourse punished deviance. The chapter concludes with an examination of gender and sexuality in the context of the Golden Age popular theatre. The discussion of Calder6n's work begins in chapter three. Following on from conclusions reached in chapter two regarding the relationship between the theatre and society, theories of the male gaze are seen to be particularly relevant to masculinity and are applied to Dario todo y no d…
author: Evans, Geraint
language: eng
license: https://apollo8-f-pro.lib.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/e693361e-a916-4a60-a696-0bf11df2366b/download
license: https://www.rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserved/
date published: 2003-01-01
date modified: 2026-07-24T01:33:00Z
provider: Cambridge University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Cambridge

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.17863/CAM.11786