Bayliss (Spanish, University of Kansas) takes a new look at early modern Spanish theater. Rather than examining the plays as reflective of Spanish society alone, he places them in the European
tradition of Courtly Love as portrayed by the medieval troubadours and trovaritz. He sees the theater as recently released from the control of the aristocracy. Playwrights aimed their work at
the paying audience from all walks of life. The theme of independent choice in affairs of the heart was popular as well as being a reaction to centuries of patriarchal control of marriage.
Bayliss includes both male and female playwrights in his study, setting up a gendered discourse that sheds light on the different aspects of interaction between the sexes. This is a refreshing
change from earlier work, which generally ignored women writers. Distributed by Associated University Presses. Annotation 穢2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
