Out of the Wings

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El otro (1926), Miguel de Unamuno y Jugo

Titles
English title: The Other
Notable variations on Spanish title: El otro: misterio en tres jornadas y un epílogo
Date written: 1926
First publication date: 1930
First production date: 1930
Keywords: violence, violence > murder, violence > suicide, family > brothers/sisters, identity, history > memory, morality > judgement, morality > crime
Genre and type: tragedy
Pitch

There’s a body in the cellar. It’s a secret between brothers. Twin brothers: one murdered; the other his murderer. But which one is dead, and which one still lives? Through the gradual deterioration of Cosme’s sanity, El otro (The Other) explores the mystery of identity and madness. What’s it like never to be unique? What’s it like to believe you are not you, but 'The Other'?

Synopsis

El otro (The Other) is a mystery that takes place over three days. Divided into three acts and an epilogue, it is set in a house occupied by Ernesto, his Housekeeper, the family doctor ... (Read more...)

Sources

Saints Cosmas and Damian

The twins in the play are named after two fourth-century Christian martyrs, Cosmas and Damian, who were also twins.

Cain and Abel

The fratricide in El otro (Th... (Read more...)

Critical response

Unamuno’s theatre has received relatively little academic attention compared to the rest of his corpus. El otro (The Other) is considered as a play ‘containing the quintessential of Un... (Read more...)

Editions
  • Unamuno, Miguel de. 1960. El Otro: Raquel Encadenada, ed. Frank Sedwick. New York, Las Americas Publishing Company

  • Unamuno, Miguel de. 1964. Teatro: Fedra, Soledad, El Otro. Buenos Air... (Read more...)

Useful readings and websites
  • Biganne, Julia. 2000. ‘Yet Another Other: Unamuno’s El otro and the Anxiety for Influence’, Bulletin of Spanish Studies, 77.5, 479-491

  • Shaw, D. L. 1977. ‘Three Plays of Unamuno: A Survey of His Dramatic Technique’, Forum for Modern Language Studies, 8.3, 253-264

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

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