Rojas Zorrilla ante la crítica romántica

Abstract

To Romantic Criticism, Rojas Zorrilla’s fame becomed obscure by the figure of his contemporary, friend and collaborator, Pedro Calderon de la Barca. This logical situation is clearly evident in the great german critics: Rojas Zorrilla is scarcely mentioned by the Schlegel brothers. To other historians he occupied a secondary place and the only exception was Johann Ludwig Tieck, who exalted his works even above Calderon masterpieces. It can be affirmed that Rojas Zorrilla reception was irregular. If we examine Musso Valiente’s library, Agustin Duran’s Discurso, and the romantic period editions, we will find some interest in his figure and that it was situated in a secondary place in relation to our great theater. It seems clear that Martinez de la Rosa and Alberto Lista were the critics who pay more attention to him. Martinez de la Rosa established an approach based in the neoclassic topics about our writer, meanwhile Alberto Lista developed a closer and original reading, specially centered in the poet’s tragic dimension and elements that, from his point of view, anticipated romantic Aesthetics. Rojas Zorrilla inclusion in romantic Literary Histories, and his edition in the «Biblioteca de Autores Espanoles», prepared by Mesonero Romanos, make him enter the canon among the «six great stars» in Spanish Golden Age Theater.