Discourses of Empire

Discourses of Empire: Counter-Epic Literature in Early Modern Spain, Volume 1, provides a scholarly examination of how literary styles reacted against imperialist epic conventions. Barbara Simerka analyzes the counter-epic as a tool used to scrutinize the consequences of foreign conquest and the domination of various peoples. This work explores the representation of militant Christian imperialism within Spanish literature, focusing on texts that challenged the Hapsburg monarchy in both northern Europe and the New World. By investigating diplomatic, economic, and theological writings, the author demonstrates how competing discourses existed alongside hegemonic culture.

This historical drama and Spanish literature study examines rarely analyzed genres, including burlesque epics, history plays, and indiano drama. As a work of history and criticism, Discourses of Empire: Counter-Epic Literature in Early Modern Spain, Volume 1, situates Spanish drama within a broader continental European context. The text compares Spanish Golden Age literature with American, English, and French works to highlight the complex political and intellectual conditions of the imperial period.