ABSTRACT
This chapter offers a general analysis of the emergence and development of dramas on favorites in Spain, France, and England, with an emphasis on the historical context and the theoretical components defining these dramas. This comparative analysis questions the national framework in which these dramas traditionally have been studied and suggests that, despite their diversity, dramas on favorites across Europe share some common characteristics. These common features included the impact of court favoritism, in general, and literary patronage, in particular, on the emergence of the theatrical role of the favorite, and the use of Neostoicism as a framework for portraying those characters.
