Juan Ruiz de Alarcón

Juan Ruiz de Alarcón (* end of 1580 or early 1581 in Taxco ( Guerrero, Mexico); † August 4, 1639 in Madrid) was a Spanish playwright.

Life

He studied law in the Real y Pontificia Universidad de la Ciudad de México ( the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico City ).

On April 15, 1600, he traveled to Spain, where he worked for a long time as a lawyer in Seville. Some of his works reflect the resist Spain, which he receives there: Thus, for example, " La verdad sospechosa " ( The suspect truth ) as protagonists Don García, who studied in Salamanca. After a few years he returned to Mexico.

In 1614 he came a second time to Spain, where he remained until his death, 25 years later, and remained as interim Rapporteur of the Consejo de Indias ( Council of the Indians ) worked. There be turning to to literature intensified; his experiences over the theater were expanded in the time 1615-1634. His devotion to the theater brought in high on one side of fame, and prestige, as well as a good income, on the other side but also many enmities.

Ruiz de Alarcón itself was a relatively physically deformed person, very small, bumpy, red head, so many bad jokes have been made about him, among other things, of the work colleagues Félix Lope de Vega, Pedro Calderón de la Barca and Francisco de Quevedo, of him cripple called. The playwrights of the golden age of Spanish literature ( Siglo de Oro ) died on August 4, 1639, relatively wealthy, in Madrid.

A picture of the dramatist is not obtained, all images of him have emerged in retrospect, the most common among them is located in the municipality of Santa Prisca, Taxco.

Work

Compared to other authors of his era, the Mexican author has not produced very many works, but the present pieces are distinguished by their high quality. Overall Ruiz de Alarcón published in two volumes twenty comedies, of which the first volume ( including " Los paredes oyen " ) came out in 1628 and the second in 1634 (the " La verdad sospechosa ", respectively).

Inspiration for his subjects found Ruiz de Alarcón in different pieces, so of William Shakespeare's " El mercader de Venecia ", which is similar with " El examen de maridos ", both of which are inspired from a common Italian withholding.

His " anti- Cristo " arose in part from " Evangelos apócrifos ". With " El tejedor de Segovia " the romantic drama is anticipated. Ruiz de Alarcón is a moralizing manners comedy writer, this property was are characteristic of his works. Attacking the social vices and sins of his era, the moralizing, which was not to be found in the works of Lope de Vega.

His principal works are " Las paredes oyen " ( The walls hear ) and "La verdad sospechosa " ( The suspect truth ). The latter work inspired the French dramatist Pierre Corneille ( classicism, character comedy ) for his play Le Menteur ( The Liar ). Both comedies criticize the slander, the morbid or manic lies. Ruiz de Alarcón's works always move in an urban environment. He is one of the most polite and psychological Baroque playwright.

A longtime friend was Tirso de Molina, on the, it is assumed in the literature, some pieces (eg Cautela contra cautela, Siempre ayuda la verdad etc. ) go back, which he has not written Alarcón, or at least both written in a collaborative effort have.

Works of the first volume are:

Los favores del mundo o Ganar Perdiendo, La industria y la suerte, Las paredes oyen, El sí mismo a semejante, La Cueva de Salamanca, Mudarse por mejorarse, Todo ventura it, El desdichado s fingir.

Works of the second volume are:

Los empeños de un engaño, El dueño de estrellas las, La amistad castigada, La manganilla de Melilla, Ganar amigos, La verdad sospechosa, El anticristo, El tejedor de Segovia, La prueba de las promesas, Los pechos privilegiados, La crueldad por el honor, El examen de maridos.

Other works:

Quien anda times times acaba, No hay que por bien no venga times, La culpa busca la pena y el agravio la venganza, Siempre ayuda la verdad, Cautela contra Cautela.

Scheduling can be his theatrical works into four types

His pieces are characterized by an urban environment, the theme of the capa and espada, sobriety, through satire, morality, everyday things, but also the special in some subjects and the irony. Above all, the French theater was influenced by his works.

La verdad sospechosa

" The suspicious truth " is perhaps his most typical theater work, the theater of the golden age in which he ( Siglo de Oro ). The play alludes to that time and the developments, an atmosphere of reforms, changes in customs, manners and economy, while the company relatively luxusgewöhnt and very frivolous, frivolous, was.

The story is about the son of Don Garcia, who comes from a noble family. He travels to his brother's death to Madrid, where he meets two young ladies, Jacinta and Lucrecia. He marveled at the beauty of the first, which so fascinated him that he tried to conquer lies. He, who has just arrived from Salamanca told that he would be a wealthy Indians from Peru. A circumstance makes him believe that would mean Beautiful Lucrecia.

A little later he meets a friend from his childhood, don Juan de Sosa, the friend of Jacinta. This is jealous because the car of his lovers was seen at a party in Sotillo in Madrid. Don García lying one more time and told this had organized the celebration.

Don Beltrán, the father of Don García, trying to marry Jacinta, but his son tried with a new lie, to prevent this marriage, although he does not know that Jacinta is his Chosen and not Lucrecia. He lies and says he has secretly married in Salamanca.

At the same time, Don Juan feels hurt by his old friend, he does not trust him, even though the conversation contributes in a room in San Blas to elucidate that Jacinta has lent their vehicle, which was seen at the ceremony. Don Juan is jealous.

Jacinta prepares a conversation with Don García on the balcony of Lucrecia. The new coming together again leads to misunderstandings that make the situation even more difficult. But Don García insists on his conquest, though he still this confused with Lucrecia. The three, Lucrecia, Jacinta and Don García, meet in the Church of Magdalena, where it comes to new misunderstandings that bring the two ladies to to suspect each other and to doubt the truth of each other, what her young friend concerns.

Don Beltrán finally learns the lie of his son getting married in Salamanca. His son admits to have invented this lie, because he was in love with Lucrecia and therefore did not want to marry Jacinta ( he confuses both still ). Don Beltrán so accepted Lucrecia as a future wife and his son Don Juan is Jacinta promised. It was not until just before the end, when the women are fed to their future husbands, Don García remembers his mistake, but this is now too late. He must now marry Lucrecia.

The play is both a character comedy, especially with the protagonist Don García, and secondly, a comedy of manners, with a moral appeal and represents the criticism of society at the time of the Siglo de Oro