ABSTRACT

This chapter examines the political strife between Mariana of Austria and Don Juan José of Austria as manifest in the royal theatre created during the regency of Carlos II of Spain (r. 1665–1700). The tension that resulted from the power relations in the Habsburg Court led by the King’s mother manifests in royal drama written in and performed for the court. This chapter investigates how political concerns during Mariana’s regency are represented in Calderón de la Barca’s La estatua de Prometeo. Calderón’s play presents the struggle for power embodied by Mariana and the King’s illegitimate half-brother Don Juan José, and comments on Carlos II’s weaknesses as king of Spain. Royal drama such as La estatua de Prometeo not only provides us with insight into court culture, but also can be used to understand the intricacies of early modern court politics.