¿Quién es Juan Ruiz de
Alarcón?
Nació en México en 1580 (aproximadamente); aunque
nació en México, sus padres eran españoles. Vivió en México hasta la edad de
~20 años, cuando se fue a España (Salamanca). Vivió la mayoridad de su vida
como adulto en España, y allí estudió derecho y trabajó como abogado y
escritor. Escribió esta obra entre 1618 y 1621 (fechas aproximadas), y la obra
fue representada por primera vez en 1624. Alarcón murió en 1639.
COMPS
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No example question: Maybe, how it fits into the
comedia nueva picture?
Contexto importante
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Alarcón
vivió durante el mismo tiempo que Lope de Vega. Vega nació casi 20 años antes,
en 1562, y murió en 1635.
-
Esta
obra refleja varias tendencias típicas del teatro de la época; por ejemplo, se
trata el tema de honor, lo cual era muy popular en las comedias de la época en
España. También, el uso del “gracioso” y las referencias mitológicas son
tendencias comunes en el teatro del periodo.
Estilo / técnicas literarias
-
Más
de la mitad de la obra está escrita en redondillas
con rima consonante. Alarcón usa otras formas de versificación también, y estas
formas reflejan el tema que tratan. Por ejemplo, los cuentos largos de Don
García están escritos en romances, y
la mayoridad de las conversaciones entre las mujeres (especialmente Lucrecia y
Jacinta) están escritos en quintillas.
Alarcón usa décimas y tercetos también.
-
Metáfora
extendida (ej.: Tristán – su descripción de mujeres, en comparación con
planetas y estrellas)
Personajes principales
-
Don
García – el protagonista, un hombre joven y mentiroso
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Don
Beltrán – el padre de don García
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Tristán
– el gracioso, el criado y confidente de don García
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Jacinta
– mujer noble, de quien está enamorado García (aunque crea que se llama
Lucrecia)
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Lucrecia
– amiga de Jacinta, otra mujer noble
-
Don Juan
– otro noble joven, ama a Jacinta (competición de don García)
Temas
-
Honor/honra
o
Ej:
Don Beltrán dice que ha perdido su honor por las mentiras ridículas de su hijo,
don García
o
Some new concept about honor – not just based on
birth, but also on actions; you get your honor from birth, but have to “maintain”
it through good actions
-
Importancia
de la familia (amor del padre para el hijo)
o
Ej.:
Don Beltrán perdona a su hijo don García a pesar de todas sus mentiras y la
vergüenza pública.
-
La
moralidad / el tema moral
o
Ej.:
Don García recibe el castigo por todas sus mentiras eventualmente.
o
Sentimiento
que hay justicia al final (porque don García recibe su castigo merecido)
o
Don
Beltrán representa un personaje puro y bueno (en comparación con el duque de El castigo sin venganza)
-
El
gracioso
o
Tristán
– criado y confidente de don García
-
Referencias
mitológicas
o
Alarcón
incluye varias referencias mitológicas en su obra; algo que fue una tendencia
popular durante su época.
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Ironía
o
Ej.:
Don García dice que quiere casarse con “Lucrecia” y no con Jacinta, pero al
final, cuando se da cuenta por fin que la persona a quien ama realmente es
Jacinta, ya es demasiado tarde y tiene que casarse con Lucrecia después de
todo.
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Enredos
-
Atención
a los detalles descriptivos y bienes materiales, materialismo
o
Crítica
a las mujeres de la clase alta por su interés en dinero
o
Mucho
más descripción de todo (en comparación con varias obras de Lope de Vega que
son bastante más simples, o con menos detalles)
-
La comedia
nueva
o
Aspecto
de humor, lo que le gustará al público [vulgo]
o
Polimetría
– versificación que refleja tono/asunto
o
Tres actos
o
Verosimilitud
PLOT NOTES
Acto primero
Escena 1
-
Don García arrives home, where he is met by his
father don Beltrán. We have the impression that don García has been gone for a
while, as Beltrán remarks that he’s become a man. Beltrán gives him the servant
Tristán, saying that he’s not just a servant but rather an adviser and friend.
Escena 2
-
Beltrán converses with “un letrado,” a tutor who
has been living with don García and teaching him. Beltrán is proud of his son García’s progress.
-
We learn that García is a second son, which is
why he’s been educated in letters.
-
However, first son has died (I think), so now
García’s going to have to take on that more powerful role of heir. Beltrán asks
tutor if his son’s going to be ok – basically, is he a good guy, what are his
vices?
-
Tutor says that García is a good and noble dude,
but his major flaw is that he’s a liar. Beltrán is scandalized and says he has
to get him married quickly before this flaw comes to light in the area.
Escena 3
-
García and Tristán chat. Funny bit when García
asks Tristán’s opinion about a shirt collar and Tristán tells a story about a
man who got rejected by a girl the first time he went out without a collar
because his neck was ugly.
-
García wants to know about the women in the
area. Tristán’s long description of them, comparing them with planets and stars,
and saying what they all revolve around is money (extended metaphor).
-
We learn how Tristán has become a servant.
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García sees a beautiful woman pass on the street
and falls in love with her at first sight.
Escena 4
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García approaches the beautiful woman (Jacinta)
and helps her get up after she falls, and they start to flirt.
Escena 5
-
García’s first lies – tells Jacinta he has been
pursuing her for more than a year (when he just saw her for first time), ever
since he arrived from the New World (he was actually in Salamanca). He offers
to buy her whatever she wants at the store there, but she refuses and then
leaves.
Escena 6
-
Tristán says he has found out who the woman is,
and says that the coachman said that the most beautiful one was named Lucrecia.
(Problem: interpretation of who is most beautiful. So García incorrectly
assumes that Jacinta is Lucrecia).
Escena 7
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García and Tristán run into don Juan and don
Félix. Juan says he was at an excellent party with a beautiful woman last
night, García suggests that it was his party and his love (another lie), and
then says he had arrived a month ago (instead of last night – another lie).
Then, García describes this fictitious party in detail. Juan buys the whole
thing and is crazy jealous – thinks they’re both after the same girl (Jacinta).
Escena 8
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Tristán advises García not to move too quickly
with his lady love, Lucrecia (who is actually Jacinta).
-
Tristán asks García “what’s with all the lies?”
Escena 9
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Don Beltrán visits Jacinta, and offers that she
can marry his son, García. Jacinta wants to see him before she agrees.
Escena 10
-
Jacinta speaks with her servant Isabel about the
marriage proposal. Jacinta is in love with don Juan, but doesn’t know if that
will pan out. Also interested in the elegant Indian (actually don García).
Jacinta wants to be able to speak with don Beltrán’s son, don García, to know
what he’s like, and thinks that she can do so with the help of Lucrecia.
Escena 11
-
Juan comes to speak with Jacinta, thinks that
she was at the party with García the night before and is jealous. Jacinta says
he’s crazy and denies everything (because it was all a lie of García).
Acto segundo
Escena 1
-
A messenger comes and gives García a message
from Lucrecia, who wants to see him that night. (It’s Jacinta’s strategy to
meet him and be able to talk with him).
Escena 2
-
García and Tristán talk – García’s excited.
Escena 3
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Another messenger/page comes – Juan wants a duel
with García that same evening.
Escena 4
-
Beltrán checks in on García, tells him to behave
himself in the city, and says for him to get a horse ready because they need to
go out (so that Jacinta can see him).
Escena 5
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Beltrán asks Tristán about his first impressions
about García. Tristán tells Beltrán that his son is a huge liar.
Escena 6
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Beltran’s worry – has to get García married.
Escena 7
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Horses are ready to go for Beltrán and García.
Escena 8
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Isabel comes back and tells Jacinta that
Lucrecia has agreed to that plan and already sent word to García. Then, they
see don Beltrán pass with García at his side – Jacinta realizes that García is
the “Indian” from earlier (recognizes that he lied).
Escena 9
-
Beltrán and García talk. Beltrán asks his son if
he’s a gentleman. Discussion about honor and how it’s won and lost. Beltrán
says he’s heard a lot of rumors about García being a big liar – he’s dishonored
by this. Beltrán says that García needs to fix it by acting correctly from now
on.
-
Beltrán says he has a marriage arranged for
García – García is upset, thinking of “Lucrecia” (who’s actually Jacinta). So,
he lies and says he’s already married, and tells an elaborate lie about how it
all went down in Salamanca… his father Beltrán totally buys it.
Escena 10
-
García’s monologue about the benefits of lying
well.
Escena 11
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García and Juan – Juan explains why he wants to
duel and they draw swords.
Escena 12
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Félix arrives and tells them to put away their
swords because they have nothing to duel about. They shake hands and part ways.
Escena 13
-
Félix talks with Juan and says it was all a
misunderstanding, Jacinta was never at any party the night before. Félix also
says that he has found out that García had only arrived yesterday in Madrid,
not a month ago as he had said, and was never at any party after all. Thus,
Juan realizes that García is a liar.
-
Juan is going to go ask Jacinta for forgiveness.
Escena 14
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García tells Tristán it was necessary to lie to
his father about the fake marriage.
Escena 15
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Jacinta and Lucrecia are at Lucrecia’s window
waiting for García.
Escena 16
-
García and Jacinta talk. (García still thinks
Jacinta is Lucrecia). Jacinta says she was going to marry him but it’s
impossible because she’s discovered that he’s already married. Jacinta tells
García that she has discovered all of his lies and no longer trusts him at all.
-
García explains that he lied to his father about
being married so that he could marry her (“Lucrecia,” who’s actually Jacinta).
-
“Lucrecia” (who’s actually Jacinta) asks why
García doesn’t like Jacinta, and says that’s why she (“Lucrecia”) has called
García – to marry him to her (Jacinta).
-
Jacinta ends up rejecting García as a total
liar. García is confused, “why doesn’t she trust me?” And Tristán totally calls
him out on it.
Acto tercero
Escena 1
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Messenger arrives with note from García to
Lucrecia. Messenger says that García is going crazy for her. Lucrecia instructs
messenger to tell García that she ripped his note up without reading it, but
then to tell him “secretly” that Lucrecia will be at some festival tonight so
that García can find her there.
Escena 2
-
García continues the lie about his fake marriage
with his father – says his “wife” is pregnant, and that’s why she can’t come to
Madrid.
Escena 3
-
Tristán points out that García almost messed up
the lie he had been telling his father for a mistake with names.
-
Tristán has spoken with Lucrecia’s messenger –
reveals the truth, that Lucrecia read the letter from García. She’s going to
fall for him.
Escena 4
-
Jacinta and Lucrecia talk about García and
wonder what’s going on. Jacinta gives Lucrecia her blessing for if she wants to
get with him.
Escena 5
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Lucrecia’s messenger points out the two women
(Lucrecia and Jacinta) to García and Tristán and says that the one holding the
paper (García’s note) is Lucrecia. García moves closer to see, but in the
meanwhile, Lucrecia passes the note to Jacinta for her to read.
Escena 6
-
García moves closer, and sees Jacinta with the
note, so continues thinking she is Lucrecia. García’s note says that he
declares himself to be Lucrecia’s husband. García approaches Jacinta and begins
to speak to her very romantically; Lucrecia covers her face some with a veil.
-
Jacinta is speaking with García in such a way so
that Lucrecia will realize that García doesn’t love her, since he’ll flirt in
such a way with anyone. The women don’t realize that García has them confused.
-
García asks Jacinta about when they talked on
the balcony and when he gave her a note, and Lucrecia thinks that Jacinta has
betrayed her.
-
Major confusion – García acts like he has
mistaken Jacinta for Lucrecia, Jacinta plays along although she’s starting to
catch on to what has happened. Lucrecia thinks it’s all arranged between them
and she’s been completely tricked/betrayed by the both of them.
Escena 7
-
García and Tristán talk; they think that it was
Lucrecia they were talking to, and that she’s into García after all.
-
Tristán says if García wants to marry Lucrecia
so much, he should ask her. He suggests that Juan can vouch for him being a
bachelor, and García lies (of course) and tells Tristán that he killed Juan in
a duel (when actually, Félix separated them before anything happened).
Escena 8
-
Just after, Juan appears (haha) and Tristán
realizes that García has just lied to him too.
-
Juan is talking with Beltrán and tells him that
no woman such as the one that García has said he is married to exists in
Salamanca – had to have been a lie.
Escena 9
-
Beltrán flips out on García for lying to him
about being married. Asks him why he lies constantly.
-
García asks for forgiveness and says he lied
because he wants to marry Lucrecia. Beltrán isn’t sure, still doesn’t trust
him.
Escena 10-12
-
Lucrecia’s father is with Jacinta’s uncle.
Escena 13
-
Beltrán arrives, wanting to talk to Lucrecia’s
father. Lucrecia’s father agrees that García and Lucrecia can marry.
Escena 14
-
Lucrecia and Jacinta come out together, and
García goes toward Jacinta – the confusion is finally revealed (he had their
names messed up all along). Don Juan (the young one) is there, and Jacinta says
she wants to marry him. García is left embarrassed.
-
García is screwed and ends up having to marry
Lucrecia, even though he wanted to marry Jacinta. Tristán’s critical comment
about the danger of lying ends the play.
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