Un drama exaltado del Trienio Liberal: Enrique III de Castilla (1820)

Abstract

The present project focuses on the study of Enrique III de Castilla, an anonymous historical drama in verse, which was first released in Cadiz in 1820. In a period as complex as the Liberal Triennium, the new political system needs to find support among the popular classes to consolidate its hold on power. To achieve this, the great social influence enjoyed by the theatre as an effective means of disseminating ideas becomes essential, thus explaining the creation of numerous dramas with a political theme. Specifically, in this piece, the legend of the diseased king’s mantle is put at the service of liberal ideology, through a defence of constitutional principles by a monarch who manages to defeat the despotic lords of the kingdom who usurp his throne.

Keywords

• enrique iii de castilla
• liberal triennium
• political theatre
• historical drama
• nineteenth-century rewritings
• neoclassical tragedy
• romanticism