Jodi Campbell Knihy

Focusing on the intersection of theater and politics in early modern Spain, this study analyzes thirty-three Golden Age Spanish plays by four playwrights. It reveals how these works portray kingship and reflect the political interests of their audiences. Rather than outright endorsing absolutist monarchy, the plays advocate for a concept of reciprocal obligations between rulers and their subjects, highlighting a nuanced perspective on power dynamics during a pivotal era in Spanish history.

Research on European food culture has expanded substantially in recent years, telling us more about food preparation, ingredients, feasting and fasting rituals, and the social and cultural connotations of food. At the First Table demonstrates the ways in which early modern Spaniards used food as a mechanism for the performance of social identity.