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Often a society is best understood through an analysis of the monstrous figures it creates. Through this course we will analyze images and metaphors of the monster in the cultural productions of Baroque Spain, the period corresponding to the 17th century, in order to understand the Spanish society of the time. In viewing the monstrous body as a metaphor for the cultural body, we will examine the construction of gender, social identity, and the grotesque. Through such an examination, we will come to identify, analyze, and question the ideological parameters that governed that time. The cultural products to be studied will include theater plays, novellas, emblem books, poetry and paintings. In addition to the primary materials, the discussions will be informed by historical, socio-cultural, and theoretical readings in order to contextualize the Baroque period and its “monstrous” representations. The course will be conducted entirely in Spanish. Completion of Spanish 306. It is also highly advisable to have taken at least one advanced Spanish literature course.