De la privanza en Calderón: Los cabellos de Absalón y La hija del aire

The privado or favourite is a frequently recurring character in a large number of Golden-Age dramas which, concerned with matters of political power and authority, reflect, of course, the political context and circumstances in Spain during this period. Most studies to date have focused on the figure of the favourite as treated in the subgenre known as the comedia de privanza. But there are many plays outwith this specific category in which the privado, or political favourite, plays a significant role. The principal aim of this article, therefore, is to study the conduct and function of certain political favourites and advisers in plays in which, though they take only secondary parts in the main plot, do contribute relevantly and significantly to the dramatic action. Two such plays are Los cabellos de Absalon and La hija del aire, in which Calderon presents us with a number of good and bad agents of political power, enabling us to appreciate them either as examples of or as opposites to the perfect minister of state.