Out of the Wings

You are here:

Divinas palabras (1918-1920), Ramón María del Valle-Inclán

Titles
English title: Divine Words
Date written: from 1918 to 1920
First publication date: 1920
First production date: 1933
Keywords: family > duty, family > marriage, morality > honour, ideology > religion and faith, love > lust, violence > cruelty, women
Genre and type: tragicomedy
Pitch

Sex, death, cruelty, greed. Escape to the country, and revel in the madness and fun as you travel the rural highways and byways of Divinas palabras (Divine Words).

Synopsis

Set in rural Galicia, Divinas palabras (Divine Words) paints a colourful portrait of the lust, greed and vitality of its characters. The complex storyline shifts the dramatic perspectiv... (Read more...)

Sources

The ‘divine words’

At the end of the play Pedro Gailo states ‘He that is without sin among you, cast the first stone’. These words, taken from the Gospel of John 8:7, were spoken by Je... (Read more...)

Critical response

General

Divinas palabras (Divine Words) was first published in book form in 1920. This published version received favourable reviews from critics (Valle-Inclán 1991: 50). However, it w... (Read more...)

Further information

In 1987 the play was made into a film directed by José Luis García Sánchez. It was also made into an opera, in 1997, with Plácido Domingo in the role of Séptimo Miau/Lucero. A radio ver... (Read more...)

Editions
  • Valle-Inclán, Ramón María del. 1920. Divinas palabras. ‘Opera Omnia’ series, vol. xviii. Madrid. No further publishing details

  • Valle-Inclán, Ramón María del. 1969. ‘Divinas palabras’. ... (Read more...)

Useful readings and websites
  • Feijoo, Luis Iglesias. 1993. ‘La recepción crítica de Divinas palabras’, Anales de la literatura española contemporánea, 18.3, 639-91 (in Spanish)

  • Ling, David. 1972. ‘Greed, Lust and Death in Valle-Inclán’s Divinas Palabras’, The Modern Language Review, 67.2, 328-39

  • Warner, Robin. 1993. ‘Words of Power: Dialogue and Dominance in Valle-Inclán’s Divinas palabras’, The Modern Language Review, 88.2, 343-53

Entry written by Gwynneth Dowling. Last updated on 6 October 2010.

Tag this play

You must be logged in to add tags. Please log in or sign up for a free account.

Post a comment

You must be logged in to post a comment. Please log in or sign up for a free account.

  • King's College London Logo
  • Queen's University Belfast Logo
  • University of Oxford Logo
  • Arts and Humanities Research Council Logo

This static site is hosted by King's Digital Lab to offer public access to a legacy project. It has reduced functionality to improve sustainability