Author
Lope de Vega
1562-1635
Lope de Vega (1562-1635) is a public-domain author available on Rivro. Read free books, explore subjects, and discover related classics.
Subjects
Books by Lope de Vega
Fuente Ovejuna
"Fuente Ovejuna" by Lope de Vega is a play written between 1612-1614. Based on actual historical events, the drama unfolds in a Spanish village during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs. When a powerful commander's tyranny escalates to brutal violence against the townspeople, the entire community rises in unified rebellion. Their collective defiance and unwavering solidarity lead to a confrontation with royal justice, testing whether their desperate act will be condemned or vindicated by the Crown.
Comedias inéditas
"Comedias inéditas" by Lope de Vega is a collection of unpublished plays written in the 17th century. This compilation features previously unknown comedies by the prolific Spanish playwright, focusing on themes such as love, honor, and social dynamics among the nobility. Among the key characters are Don Álvaro, a protective father, and Don Juan de Padilla, a passionate suitor, as they navigate romantic entanglements and familial obligations. The opening of the work sets the stage for dramatic conflicts surrounding love and duty. Don Álvaro de Rojas expresses his concern over his daughter Beatriz's potential marriage to Don Juan de Padilla, while uncertainties regarding wealth and honor complicate their interactions. As tensions rise, Beatriz's feelings and forced commitments come into conflict, revealing deeper themes of agency and the societal pressures of marriage. The atmosphere is charged with promise yet tinged with a sense of impending turmoil as characters grapple with motivations and desires that clash with their realities.
La moza de cántaro
"La moza de cántaro" by Lope de Vega is a play written in 1618. This comedic work of mistaken identities follows the beautiful Doña María, who flees her hometown after killing a man to avenge an insult to her father. Taking refuge in Madrid, she disguises herself as a lowly water-carrier to escape detection. When the nobleman Don Juan falls for her, she must maintain her deception while navigating the dangerous consequences of her past actions.
The Pilgrim of Castile; or, El Pelegrino in Su Patria
"The Pilgrim of Castile; or, El Pelegrino in Su Patria" by Lope de Vega is a historical romantic novel written in the early 17th century. The story revolves around a shipwrecked pilgrim who washes ashore near Barcelona, ultimately leading to a tale filled with love, betrayal, and the quest for honor as various characters intertwine amidst perilous adventures. The protagonist, initially shrouded in mystery and facing numerous obstacles, engages in the grand themes of longing and redemption. At the start of the narrative, the protagonist is rescued by fishermen after being thrown ashore from a wrecked ship. Upon coming back to consciousness, he recounts his harrowing tale, revealing his background and the cause of his journey to Italy for the Jubilee. As the story unfolds, he encounters soldiers and hears tragic stories of love, betrayal, and revenge involving characters like Doricles, Filander, and Florinda, which sets the stage for conflicts driven by love and nobility. The tale intricately weaves various narratives together, reflecting on the cost of desires and the toll of inner turmoil amidst the quest for honor and recognition.
Comedias: El remedio en la desdicha; El mejor alcalde, el rey
"Comedias: El remedio en la desdicha; El mejor alcalde, el rey" by Lope de Vega is a pair of plays written between 1620 and 1623. "El mejor alcalde, el rey" dramatizes a Galician peasant's struggle for justice when a powerful nobleman abducts and violates his bride-to-be on their wedding day. The humble Sancho must journey to the king himself, seeking intervention against an aristocrat who considers himself above reproach. This drama explores themes of honor, virtue, and royal authority as the ultimate source of justice in medieval Spain.
The new art of writing plays
"The new art of writing plays by Lope de Vega" is a dramaturgical treatise in verse from the Spanish Golden Age, likely the early 17th century. It outlines how to craft stage plays that satisfy audience taste while engaging with classical theory, blending practical stagecraft with a poet’s reflections on comedy and tragedy. The book opens with a contextual introduction that sets the author alongside the great innovators of popular theater and frames his core paradox: he knows the classical rules yet openly breaks them to please the paying crowd. The central poem addresses an academy, briefly surveys the origins of comedy and tragedy, and then offers concise, practice-first guidance: choose a single, coherent action; build plays in three acts; compress time where possible; keep the stage seldom empty; delay the resolution until the final moments; and mix tragic and comic tones for variety. It advises writing the plan in prose before versifying, matching speech to character and situation, and using distinct verse forms for different purposes (for lament, narration, high matters, or love). It favors themes of honor and virtue, warns against impossibilities and open satire, prescribes moderate length, and urges decorum and plausible costume. The author closes by acknowledging his own vast, rule-breaking output and defending it on the grounds that playwrights must live by pleasing the public.