Different Beginnings and the Same Ends: The Unique Introits of Bartolomé Torres Naharro’s Comedia Tinellaria and Comedia Soldadesca

The introitos of Bartolomé Torres Naharro’s Comedia Soldadesca (1510) and Comedia Tinellaria (c. 1516) demonstrate qualities that set them apart from the playwright’s other introductory pieces. Of course, similarities between all of Torres Naharro’s prologues do exist, as they fulfill the role of calming the audience members and preparing them for the principal play that follows. In the case of Soldadesca and Tinellaria, Torres Naharro altered a reliable and proven formula when he composed and staged these two introits, which are distinct from the others in terms of content, performance, and context. His experimentation included the omission of racy subject matter in both and the absence of a brutish prologuist in one. Also, they are unique since they introduce comedias a noticia. This divergence from convention further points to the dynamic and fresh character of Torres Naharro’s theater.