«Que los dos somos un alma / que se partió en dos mitades»: about friendship in the Spanish Golden Age drama

Abstract

Greek and Roman Classics understood friendship as the culmination of all human relationships and, therefore, as an essential source of happiness. This article will study the main topoi related to this sacred bond coming from the Classics. In this sense, we highlight the role played by baroque theater, an artistic reality that places friendship as one of its main reasons for dramatic conflict. As an example, we will examine some plays by the baroque playwright Felipe Godínez. Within its theater production, this author focuses on this specific topic by forming dramatic structures based on the tradition. He also employs a series of resources that will be recurrent throughout the history of the literature.