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Tyler 1980

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Review
Reviewed Work(s):
Cristóbal de Virués
by John G. Weiger
Review by: Richard W. Tyler
Source: Hispania, Vol. 63, No. 2 (May, 1980), pp. 430-431
Published by: American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/340285
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430
Hispania
63
(May
1980)
datos sobre
par6dica de
el two
contexto
hist6ric
servitors, whom he must protect.
But by my
la reading
"Carajicomedia,"
there is not textual evidence in the Prdlogo
del Laberinto de Juan de Mena.
of a demand by Vuesa Merced that Ldzaro keep
Dentro de los limites de su breve introducci6n
silent about the caso of dishonor; on the contrary,
Dominguez toca todos los puntos claves del CancioLdzaro says openly that he is writing about his
nero de burlas, y documenta adecuadamente sus
fortunas, peligros y adversidades, for many readers,
opiniones con la s6lida labor cientifica de varios
and hopes that se huelguen con ello todos los que en
criticos como, por ejemplo, E. Cotarelo y Mori,
ella [esta nonada] algtin gusto hallaren.
Ezio Levi, Francisca Vendrell y Rodriguez Lapa. El
In addition to language, Sieber explores the theme
texto del Cancionero se reproduce fielmente en esta of sexuality. The narrative, for him, "moves from
edici6n, la cual esta desprovista de erratas y puede the unconscious through a stage of suppressed conservir bien como base para futuros estudios criticos sciousness to a final, total articulation of a very
y ediciones anotadas.
private sexual biography" (p. 55). After the second
BRUNO M. DAMIANI
stage, the tratado with the fraile de la Merced is
The Catholic University of America
seen to reveal, by "symbolic discourse," e.g.,
Lazarillo's first shoes, and by "refusal to communiSIEBER, HARRY. Language and Society in "La vida
cate" (otras cosillas que no digo), that the friar
de Lazarillo de Tormes. " Baltimore and London:
was a homosexual who sodomized Lazarillo (pp.
The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1978. xv 45-58.)
+
This possibility was first mooted by Marcel
Bataillon and has had considerable acceptance, but
108 pp. $8.95.
Whether or not readers share Sieber's theories of
recently (HR, 43, 1975, 22-41) has elicited the skepti-
language, they will find his study a challengingcism of G. Sobejano. Sieber's reasoning is ingenreinterpretation of the Lazarillo. A primary theme
ious, but may not convince all readers.
of the little novel, we read, is the "language with To conclude, this study is provocative and illumi-
which it is written" (p. xl). We get successive internating, and it should not be neglected by students of
pretations of how Ldzaro "learns something from
picaresque literature.
RAYMOND S. WILLIS, EMERITUS
each [master] . . . about the nature of language"
Princeton University
(p. xl). When he learns well, he is successful (e.g.,
with the ciego), when not, he is punished (by the
first priest.)
WEIGER, JOHN G. Crist6bal de Virues. Boston:
Language is represented as Protean. Even "non- Twayne Publishers, 1978. 166 pp.
saying is a mode of saying" (p. 49.) So are gesturesJohn Weiger's credentials as an authority on the
and likewise dress, being in effect a verbum visibile.
Valencian playwrights need no emphasis here: the
It can serve as a medium of exchange. Puzzlinglybook
it
under review is a companion-piece to
seems to be reversible, for words can be the man, Twayne's
the
The Valencian Dramatists of Spain's
Golden Age (Boston: 1976), and it is to be hoped
squire "embodies a 'power semantic"' (p. 31); but
that he will give us further studies of this important
Lazaro, by writing his autobiography, "turns himbranch of the comedia. In this newer book, he is of
self into a metaphor" (p. x).
course able to treat Virubs in much greater detail
Sieber dwells on the language of honor, oral and
than in the more general study. After a "Preface,"
visible (e.g., the squire's sword.) In the final tratado,
"Acknowledgments," and "Chronology," come
by a semantic reversal, it is converted by Ldzaro,
five numbered chapters: "The Life and Works of
through his dishonor, into the language of comVirubs"; "The Monserrate" (a picture of Montmerce, namely profit.
Sieber finds the climax of the language-experience
serrat provides an attractive frontispiece); "The
in the last tratado, which he sees adumbrated in the
Response to Fate and Fortune"; "Marcela"; and
Prologues and Epilogues." The volume closes
Prdlogo by the request of "Vuesa Merced" that "The
se
with "Notes and References," a "Selected Biblile escriba el caso muy por extenso. Caso is interand an "Index."
preted not as Ldzaro's life, but the perverse casoography,"
de
honra in which Lazaro knowingly wears horns by As a start, Dr. Weiger establishes Virubs's
connections with two more famous Golden Age
marrying the mistress of the archpriest of San Salvador in exchange for an oficio real as town crierwriters. Cervantes and Virubs both fought and were
wounded at Lepanto; and the Montserrate is praised
("he has literally become his voice", p. 86). This
in the famous escrutinio of Don Quijote's library.
arrangement, we learn, is converted by the sheer act
of Lazaro's writing his own Vida into a new menage
Cervantes also praised Viru6s in his Viaje del Par-
naso, as did Lope de Vega in El laurel de Apolo.
d trois: the archpriest, Lazaro, and Vuesa Merced,
who, as the cleric's amigo and Lazaro's master at Confusion as to a Golden Age author's birthdate
is not particularly unusual; but after he makes a
one remove, is dragged into the marital-economic
reputation, we are more likely to know when he
scandal, which at all costs must be kept quiet. By
died. For Virues, this is reversed: Dr. Weiger tells us
writing, not speaking, Lazaro remains silent about
the caso (as he forces his friends to be); Vuesa(p. 19) that "It is generally agreed that . . . Virues
was born in Valencia in 1550" (though he follows
Merced, who reads the report in privacy and silence,
is drawn into silent involvement in the caso of his
this date with a question mark in the "Chronol-
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Reviews
431
equilibrium between the
pagan values anddate
the cathoogy"),
but
that
the
lic system of reality of that era. Not only are SAnchez
However, as Lope's lines in El laurel . . . make
de Badajoz's farsas testimony of this equilibrium,
clear (quoted, pp. 19-20), "there can be no question
that Virues had died before 1630 ..." (also p. 19). they give us a portrait of everyday life, its socioWhatever his life span, Virues wrote the long logical-moral problems, its language and its humor.
poem, El Montserrate, and five comedias, which
Diez Borque aptly points out that the farsas are
based on medieval miracle, mystery and morality
Dr. Weiger studies with his usual thoroughness and
critical acumen. While the Montserrate may seemplays. Although their technique and dramatic form
situate them in the Renaissance dramaturgy of
somewhat outside the mainstream for a mainly
dramatic writer, its basic conflict "between virtue
Spain, they differ from those of the bachiller's conand fortune" (p. 56) leads nicely into the "Fate and temporaries in that they do not contain eroticism
and bucolism. Furthermore, they are distinct in that
Fortune" chapter, where all the plays except La
infelice Marcela are discussed. Three of them-A tila the pastor bobo becomes the pastor humanistafurioso, La cruel Casandra, and La gran Semiramis renacentista. Following the view of Dona Gustaf-are presumed to belong together, with Marcela
son, Diez Borque states that the pastor as a character
and Elisa Dido as exceptions. Elisa Dido, as Virues
in the farsas is a preacher-commentator and an
himself said, "adheres to classical principles"
entertainer who presents theological content in an
(p. 66), having five acts and a chorus, and observing interesting and, at times, comical manner, making it
the unities (p. 24). As regards number of acts, the comprehensible and pleasing. In his farsas SAnchez
de Badajoz communicates effectively his religiousothers have three each, reminding us of Lope's
giving credit to Virues, in the Arte nuevo. . ., for the popular message on various levels combining
three-act division; but Rey de Artieda has also been comicity with didacticism, thus making the religious
nominated, and the election returns may never come doctrines appealing to his audience. Diez Borque
in. Marcela, besides being the first comedia to use rightly believes that Sanchez de Badajoz's role is
romance meter (p. 97; a very considerable contribu- decisive in the development of the auto sacramental,
tion), lacks some of the trappings of tragedy, and is and is fundamental to the development of dramain part a pioneer honor play. (Supposedly, Atila turgy, for he combines ". . . teologia, prefigurafurioso could also be considered an exception, since ci6n y simbolismo con sAtira y elementos c6micos
it is the only title not referring to a woman.)
. . . para facilitar la atenci6n y comprensi6n del
The reader seeking to know more about this
auditorio . . ." (p. 35).
"pivotal figure in the evolution of the ... comedia"
Diez Borque's notes constitute the most valuable
(p. 91) will not be disappointed. The translations
part of this edition. He is to be commended for the
into English may disturb someone who has become insightful, well researched and readable notes that
accustomed to titles in Spanish; but this is inherent gloss the text. Through the farsas and the notes
in the Twayne format and certainly not the fault of Diez Borque expertly analyzes the richness of the
any of its authors. On the other hand, there seems to bachiller's language, with its abundant use of
be a little too much quoting of others. Admittedly, refranes, colloquial terms, and sayagues. In the
people like Rinaldo Froldi, Alfredo Hermenegildo, notes he studies assimilations, metathesis, fusions,
Melveena McKendrick, Cecilia Sargent, et al., are aphaereris, latinisisms and the Extremeflan dialect
excellent authorities; but so is John Weiger, and the which at times coincides with sayagues. The most
reviewer, who greatly admires him, would have liked characteristic and extensive linguistic pecularities are
to see more of his own judgments. Probably no one explained in detail making the text comprehensible
knows more about the Valencians, and an ampler and richer to the reader, giving an insight into the
display of this would have made a good book even sumptuous cultural and linguistic ambience of the
better.
Spanish Renaissance. With these well written notes,
RICHARD W. TYLER
Diez Borque shows that he is not only knowledgeThe University of Nebraska-Lincoln
able in theater, but in language and linguistics as
well. I recommend this book heartily to advanced
SANCHEZ DE BADAJOZ, DIEGO. Farsas. Edited by
students and teachers of Golden Age literature and
Jose Maria Diez Borque. Madrid: Citedra, 1978. culture.
313 pp.
In this annotated edition of Farsas by the bachiller
Sanchez de Badajoz, Professor Diez Borque offers
the reader an interesting introduction, very helpful
notes, and a readable text of Farsa theologal, Farsa
de la Natividad, Farsa de Salom6n, Farsa del colmenero, Farsa militar. Although not much is known
about the life of SAnchez de Badajoz, the introduction, which draws heavily from L6pez Prudencio, V.
Barrantes, and Frida Weber de Kurlat, portrays the
bachiller as an interesting writer of the Spanish
Renaissance who combined and maintained a fragile
of
ROBERT L. FIORE
Michigan State University
WOOLDRIDGE, JOHN B., editor. A Study and Critical
Edition of Lope de Vega's "El amor enamorado. " Madrid: Studia Humanitatis, 1978. xii +
230 pp.
The mythological plays of Lope de Vega are not
well known and Golden Age drama criticism has
barely touched upon their importance or relation-
ship to the rest of his dramatic work. This lack of
interest and general dearth of scholarship can be
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