Theatre
Peribáñez and the Comendador of Ocaña
Peribáñez y el comendador de Ocaña
Lope de Vega · 1614
Opening lines
Inés
Largos años os goceis.
May you enjoy each other for many long years.
Translation by Erostrate
Text quoted from archive.org
Synopsis
In Ocaña, the wedding of the wealthy peasant Peribáñez and Casilda is being celebrated. During the festivities, the comendador is thrown by a bull; he is carried to the newlyweds' house, where Casilda revives him. He immediately falls in love with her and, helped by his servants, tries to seduce her, while showering Peribáñez with gifts. When the couple leaves for Toledo to attend a religious festival, the comendador lends them tapestries to adorn their cart, follows them in secret and has a portrait of her made without Casilda's knowledge.
Context
The play appeared in 1614 in the fourth part of Lope de Vega's comedies. The date of its composition is disputed: it is missing from a list of his works drawn up in 1604, and critics place it sometimes around 1609, sometimes around 1614. It is ranked among the author's historical dramas, and the early editions call it a tragicomedy. Florence Delay translated it into French for Omar Porras's staging, in 2006, under the title Pedro et le Commandeur.
Who it is for
A play in verse and in three acts, combining peasant festivity, a love intrigue and the question of honour.
Prizes and reception
Translated into English by James Lloyd in 1990; the Cátedra version was in its thirteenth edition in 1993.