• Overview
• Staging information
• Translations
• Sample translations
• Production history

Scene

This is a three-act comedia.

Staging

In the opening scene, Enrique falls from his horse and lies unconscious. Mencía arranges for blankets and a bed for the injured Enrique to rest. The members of the royal family wear elaborate travelling clothes. Earlier on there is sword fighting, and the set must allow characters to appear to hide behind walls while overhearing conversation in the next room. Enrique’s dagger is found and is used in two scenes, and it cuts the King’s hand on stage. Mencía also falls asleep in a walled garden adjoining on to the house. Cloaks are used to indicate night time as well as to cover faces that wish to remain unidentified, and Gutierre blindfolds Ludovico to keep him ignorant of his location. When the King goes out in the street, the stage directions indicate he carries a shield. The final tableau scene, when Mencía’s bloodless body is revealed to the audience, is the greatest staging challenge of the play.

Cast number

Minimum	Maximum
6 males	14 males
4 females	8 females
10 (total)	22 (total)

Characters

• DON GUTIERRE ALFONSO SOLÍS
• DOÑA MENCÍA DE ACUÑA
• DON PEDRO, The King
• DON ENRIQUE, The Prince
• DON ARIAS
• DON DIEGO
• COQUÍN, Comic servant
• DOÑA LEONOR
• INÉS, Servant
• TEODORA, Servant
• JACINTA, Servant
• LUDOVICO, Bloodletter
• OLD MAN
• SOLDIERS
• TOWNSFOLK, Petitioning
• SILVIA, Servant, Referred to in the text but doesn’t speak
• MUSICIAN

Entry written by Kathleen Jeffs. Last updated on 10 March 2011.

Post a comment

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