From the Black Legend to Liberal Trienium: Representations of Spain in English Drama 1819-1926

Abstract

The Liberal Triennium (1820-1823) was a time of political and military conflict in Spain. Conflicts usually leave a trace in literature and, for this reason, this thesis focuses on the influence these events had on the image of Spain that was represented in English drama. From an imagologist and new historicist point of view, the plays analysed show that two main images of Spain coexisted. Firstly, English drama depicted a negative image of the country which was mainly based on the Black Legend. However, other negative images existed which were not related to this legend. The Black Legend had an impact on Spain's image before the Liberal Triennium, which means that the events that took place in Spain during the first decades of the nineteenth century did not completely change how Spain was represented. However, between 1819 and 1826, there were plays that showed a positive image of the country. Even if censorship did not allow addressing political topics on stage, several plays with direct references to the liberal revolution were written and performed in London. These positive images mainly appeared in 1823, when the French intervention ended the liberal rule in Spain, and depicted Spaniards who fought for the liberal cause as heroes. Therefore, English drama showed two opposite images of Spain which could be related to the political situation of the country, as the first decades of the nineteenth century in the country reflected the fight between two opposites, the Old Regime and liberalism.