Functions of the tale in Calderón's corpus

Abstract

In the theatre of the Golden Age it is common practice to use stories as a source of inspiration or interwoven in the text, and they acquire very diverse functions. The functions of the tale in Calderón’s work differ according to its format: alluded, narrated or staged. The narrated tale retains its original format and requires a sender and one or more recipients, reproducing the use of oral story¬telling in real life. Thus, it creates a contrast with the dramatic context and acquires various functions in relation to the theme, the characters and the structure of the comedy. The staged tale loses its essence (the narra¬tive is transformed into action and the characters, times and places be-come those of comedy) but fits better into its theatrical context. The extended dramatised tale is studied in two comedies and one auto sacra¬mental (El médico de su honra and La vida es sueño, drama and auto).