Lope de Vega y la casa de Moncada

• Main Author: Marcella Trambaioli
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Presses universitaires du Mirail 2009-08-01
• Series: Criticón
• Subjects: genealogical comedia; Moncada (casa de); Vega Lope de
• Online Access: http://journals.openedition.org/criticon/13144

In a number of pioneer studies that draw-up the essential features of the genealogical comedia subgenre, Teresa Ferrer shows how Lope de Vega, who had sound knowledge of history and of the Spanish noble houses, composed a rich corpus of plays whose primary concern was the exaltation of some of the most prestigious dynasties among the Spanish nobility. Some of the plays were written by command but on other occasions the plays were written by a dramatist seeking favour at court. The present article seeks to put together and display the information available concerning the possible links between Lope and the house of the Moncadas. The author refers to them with panegyric intent in several works (La hermosura de Angélica, Jerusalén conquistada, Laurel de Apolo), and he takes advantage of legends concerning the clan in thirtheen plays. The study of this theatrical corpus lends weight to the idea that Lope, if we put aside few courtly commands for plays that we know of thanks to official records, throughout his dramatic career worked also for a private representation of the nobility that has left little documentary evidence since it was not publicly relevant, unlike royal festivities. Nevertheless, the poet’s constant and often shameless self-promotion that can be found in these plays gives us many clues for a better understanding of that dramatic practice.