Lope de Vega

Lope de Vega (1562-1635), Spanish playwright and poet, one of the most prolific and gifted writers of the Golden Age of Spanish literature (16th and 17th centuries). Born Lope Felix de Vega Carpio in Madrid, he was educated at the University of Alcalá (now University of Madrid). In 1588, having been banished from Madrid earlier that year on a charge of libel, he served in the Spanish Armada, the fleet of ships that attempted an invasion of England. In 1614, following the death of his second wife, Lope became a priest. He continued, however, his ambitious literary life, eventually amassing great wealth and fame.

Lope is considered the founder of the Spanish national drama. While it has been estimated that he wrote more than 2000 plays, including about 400 autos sacramentales (one-act religious dramas), many consider this figure to be too large. The texts of more than 400 of his plays survive. In his dramas Lope combined elements of comedy and tragedy, developing a form called the comedia. He wrote expressly to please audiences, and his works, notable for their graceful and witty style, were extremely popular during his lifetime. His works were often filled with intrigue, highly dramatic situations, and plot complications that were resolved only near the end of the play, and they came to be called cloak-and-sword dramas. These dramas, which are frequently concerned with the theme of honor, generally portray the social life of members of the upper and middle classes, who are often motivated by love. Many of his plays reveal his disregard for the classical unities of time, place, and action. Lope also wrote historical dramas, melodramas, and one-act farces.

Lope's plays include El perro del hortelano (The Dog in the Manger, 1613?), La dama boba (The Foolish Lady, 1613), Peribañez (1610?), El mejor alcalde, el rey (The Best Magistrate, the King, 1620?-1623?), and El caballero de Olmedo (The Knight of Olmedo, 1615?-1626?).