Metaphors of Conversion in Seventeenth-century Spanish Drama

The conversion experience was a central theme in the poetry, painting and preaching of seventeenth-century Spain. These three media shared a similar function; the best `performances' of the day ran at both playhouses and churches, and the similiarities between them are striking in terms of their rhetorical style, showmanship and use of props. This study analyzes how Golden Age playwrights communicated the conversion experience to their audiences through the use of figurative language, primarily symbol and metaphor, and compares key dramatic symbols with those used by the preachers and painters of the period. The main works examined are plays by Tirso de Molina and Caldern de la Barca, but sermons, paintings and other Golden Age dramas that use similar figurative language to convey the conversion experience are also covered.

LESLIE LEVIN holds degrees in Hispanic Studies from Brown University.