1st Edition

The Life of the Soul in Early Modern Spanish Literature and Culture

By Esther Fernández Copyright 2025
128 Pages 1 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

128 Pages 1 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

128 Pages 1 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

Understanding the soul’s essence is an elusive pursuit, rendering any attempt to write about it akin to grasping at a mirage. As a sublime subject, the soul has captivated human thought for centuries. How do we approach it? How can we define its boundaries? This exploration offers an experimental investigation into the soul’s complexities during one of Spain’s most turbulent periods—the dawn of... Read more

PREFACE

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

INTRODUCTION: TOWARDS A POETICS OF THE SOUL

CHAPTER 1: METAPHYSICAL FOLDS

CHAPTER 2: INNER SANCTA

CHAPTER 3: BODY FOLLIES

CHAPTER 4: ANIMATED MATTER

EPILOGUE

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX

Biography

Esther Fernández is a research fellow at the Institute for Research in the Humanities at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She specializes in Iberian literary, visual, and cultural studies, with an emphasis on early modernity. Her notable publications include Eros en escena: Erotismo en el teatro del Siglo de Oro (2009), To Embody the Marvelous: The Making of Illusions in Early Modern Spain (2021), which received the 2023 Nancy Staub Publications Award from UNIMA-USA and the 2023 Vern Williamsen Comedia Book Prize from the Association for Hispanic and Classical Theater, and Alma (Compañía Nacional de Teatro Clásico, 2024). In addition, she has edited numerous essay collections and contributed articles on a broad array of topics, particularly in theater and performance, frequently adopting a transhistorical approach.