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PEDRO CALDERÓN DE LA BARCA, the supreme poet of the spanish stage, was born
at Madrid. He became the favorite dramatist of Philip IV, who
created him Knight of Santiago in 1637. He took part in the hostilities
in Catalonia in 1640, and became a priest in 1651, which did
not, however, interfere with his writing for the theatre until
his death at Madrid. Numerous translations of his plays have
appeared in English, showing his superior lyrical gifts. The
poet Percy Bysshe Shelley once wrote of Calderón, "He
exceeds all modern dramatists, with the exception of Shakespeare,
whom he resembles, however, in the depth of thought and subtlety
of imagination of his writings, and in the rare power of interweaving
delicate and powerful comic traits with the most tragical situations." |
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