ABSTRACT
Contemporary authors are agreed in dating the definite rise of the national drama from the eventful year which saw the conquest of Granada and the discovery of the New World. The honour of being the first dramatist is assigned to Juan del Encina, a graduate of Salamanca, and famous poet and musician, who enjoyed the protection of the first Duke of Alva. The secular pieces are merely scenes from everyday life, and none of them show any comprehension of the classic methods of dramatic composition. Torres Naharro draws a distinction between historical dramas and those of which the plot is drawn from imagination. His plays are divided into five acts, and each opens with an argument and prologue. The representations of religious dramas often took place in churches and convents; secular pieces were played in the open air on Sundays or holidays, in inns or in places specially set apart for the purpose.
