Santa Bárbara y la representación dramática de la santidad en los siglos XVI y XVII.

We present an analysis of five dramatic renditions of the life of Saint Barbara, the fourthcentury Christian martyr. The plays, composed within 16th and 17th centuries, cover the evolution of Castilian hagiographical theatre, from its origin to its peak. By analyzing several representative scenes, we assess how different theatrical conceptions were at the service of hagiography, and how the legend of Saint Barbara was brought up to date in order to show different ways of representing sainthood. We show thus that two confluent impulses converged in the consolidation of hagiographical theatre: the development of scenic practices and the pragmatic aims of hagiography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]