Los autos sacramentales en Palacio: algo más que una fiesta

Abstract

This article undertakes the study of the allegorical plays that Calderon composed for Corpus Christi in Madrid as a form of Palace theater. Taking into consideration that these works were composed primarily to be staged for the King and his family, this study sheds new light on certain textual passages at the same time that it allows for an interpretation from an historical-political perspective that, in some cases, proves to be very enlightening. The fi rst part of the article shows how those individuals responsible for the organization of the Corpus Christi plays were very close to the King, and in some cases used their positions in order to serve the monarch’s interests, and even to assure that he received certain messages. In the second part a number of the Corpus plays are analyzed summarily in order to show that this perspective adds new information that allows the autos sacramentales to be interpreted more completely and correctly.