Folke Gernert Bücher

The book explores the role of magicians, necromancers, and astrologers in European golden age theatre, focusing on characters who serve as physiognomists and palm readers. It examines how physiognomic lore is fictionalized as a form of divination in early modern Romance theatre, featuring notable figures like Pietro Aretino, Giordano Bruno, Lope de Vega, Calderón de la Barca, and Thomas Corneille. Through this analysis, it highlights the intersection of dramatic character development and early modern beliefs in divination.

The information overload produced by the printing press and the new forms of the structuring of knowledge are echoed in fictional works. The essays assembled in this book study the textualization of problematic forms of knowledge in medieval and early modern Spanish literature. Literary Works like the Libro buen amor , La Lozana Andaluza , or the Guzmán de Alfarache are read against the backdrop of scientific developments of their times.