Spanish seducer Lope de Vega: biography and works

The famous Spanish playwright Lope de Vega, whose biography is full of many adventures, lived a long life and achieved success in the literary field. He loved many women (and they, in turn, were loyal to him), engaged in favorite things, and did not lose heart, no matter how difficult it was to present his life.

Childhood and youth of the writer

Lope de Vega was born in Madrid on November 25, 1562 in a wealthy family. The boy's father came from a simple peasant family, but thanks to his abilities he was able to become a wealthy man. Therefore, he managed to give his son a quality education, and even buy him a patent for the title of nobility.

Already in his childhood the boy began to show a penchant for the humanities. According to the author himself, he began to write and translate the texts of other writers very early, at eleven. The father sent his son to study at a Jesuit school, after which he entered the university.

At the university the future venerable Spanish writer studied in the period from 1577 to 1581, but as a result he never managed to finish it.

Exile

At the age of 21, that is, in 1583, Lope de Vega was a participant in the campaign against the Azores. Returning, he continued to work as secretary of wealthy aristocrats, although by this time he was already a playwright known throughout Spain.

1588 was significant in the biography of the writer, because this year he was imprisoned, after which he was expelled from Madrid for 10 years. The reason for his imprisonment was an insult to a high-ranking nobleman. The writer was forced to go to Valencia, where he took with him his faithful companion Isabel de Urbina, who later became his wife. In the same year, the coryphaeus of medieval Spanish drama went on a campaign of the Invincible Armada, and then settled with his lady of heart.

Staying in Valencia, Lope de Vega has learned a lot of new knowledge from local playwrights. In his works he was given the opportunity to combine all the techniques that he used to have with the peculiarities of the Valencian drama. As a result, he even created a treatise in verse, in which he outlined his views on the progressive dramatic system.

Personal life

Lope de Vega, whose biography is full of many significant events, was very passionate in nature and gave his heart to many women.

Elena Osorio

A long and serious relationship was associated with this writer. But they also came to an end, because the lady led an immoral lifestyle, changing one lover after another, and once in his poems the frenzied de Vega ridiculed his chosen one and her family, using not the most pleasant epithets. For "slander" the author was expelled from Madrid.

Isabel de Urbina

Probably the most important woman in the life of the famous playwright was his charming companion Isabel de Urbina, who, as noted above, voluntarily left her hometown and went for her beloved in exile. But not everything was so simple, because she was not the legitimate wife of the writer, and the parents of Isabel were fierce opponents of relations before marriage. That's why they started a lawsuit against De Vega, which was closed, as soon as the girl became his legal wife. Isabel occupied an important place not only in the life of the writer, but also in his work. Lope de Vega of love for her wrote in her dramas, where Isabel acted under the name of Belisa. But this couple was not destined to live a long and happy life. In 1590, Isabel died, which was one of the most serious losses for de Vega. Unfortunately, there are also no children from this marriage, since both children died in infancy.

Second marriage

The expiration period came to an end, and Lope de Vega, whose drama only won from exile, returned to his native Madrid. But his jubilation over this matter was short-lived, because soon he was again in the courtroom as a defendant in the case of cohabitation with a widow, which was the height of impropriety at that time.

After the trial, the relationship was terminated, but the writer decided not to remain a bachelor for a long time, and married for the second time in 1604. But this marriage was not happy: the wife of De Vega and his son were killed.

Marta Nevares

The last lover of the playwright was Martha Nevares, who devoted herself entirely to the writer, and even divorced her husband for his sake. These relations were very lengthy, but, unfortunately, this time it all ended very sadly. Martha and Lope de Vega lived together for fifteen years, but after a long illness the writer's muse died, leaving him alone.

Church

A lot of information about the religious views of the writer has survived, but several facts remain unchanged.

In 1609, the author managed to obtain the title of "close to the Inquisition", which protected him from any charges from the church. By the way, it became possible not without the help of the patron and mentor de Vega, the Duke de Secque, from whom he worked as a secretary.

In 1614, the writer became a priest, and thirteen years later - a doctor of theology. Such a high title was received for good reason, and for writing a dramatic work dedicated to the incumbent Pope.

Old age

Lope de Vega, whose works were awarded the highest praise, continued to write up to advanced years. According to various sources, his creative legacy totals from 1500 to 2000 pieces, of which up to our time have reached no more than 600. The last comedy was written by the author a year before his death, and the last poem - in a few days. For several years the writer has tried to atone for his sins and therefore led an ascetic life and spent a lot of time in prayer. He left the world on August 27, 1635. At the funeral of the playwright-monk, many colleagues gathered in the creative department and fans of talent.

Creation

The writer became famous, mainly because of his dramatic works, but despite this, his poems, elegy and ode are worthy of attention, in which the author has invested all his talent and love for art. De Vega tried to depict all the important features of his contemporary life, but he did it in his,
Easy manner.

For example, when describing historical events, he did not seek to detail the concrete facts, but perpetuated the glory of his homeland and its people. A striking example of this is the comedy "Famous Women of Asturias", in which the writer used even the appropriate dialect to convey the feat of the people as naturalistically as possible.

The theme of the Spanish-Christian monarchy was favored for Lope de Vega. The works in which he depicts the inhabitants of Castile are full of both ordinary domestic scenes and struggle with Muslims. The most striking examples, exposing the historical features of this area, are "The King thrown into the abyss" and "Innocent Blood". In both dramas we are talking about kings who have suffered punishment for their unrighteous deeds.

Themes

In his work the author touches upon a wide variety of topics. The books of Lope de Vega are full of adventure, color and various dramatic positions. So, in the drama "The Star of Seville" the actors are forced to go through many trials, and the author only makes their life more tragic, forcing them to reach the peak of happiness and immediately fall into the abyss of pain and suffering.

Surprisingly, the playwright did not ignore Russian history. In one of the works of Lope de Vega, quotations from which were used by many critics, we are talking about False Dmitry. The play "Grand Duke of Moscow" tells about the life and fate of the prince. Less known for a wide range of readers, but still worthy of attention, are spiritual and philosophical dramas.

The most famous work of the writer is the play "The Dog in the Manger". As for the title of the work, it is considered that the expression "a dog in the manger" can be treated as a synonym for a person who does not use any good himself, but does not allow it to be done to others. The comedy narrates about the relationship of an aristocrat named Diana and her secretary Teodoro. Given her position, Diana can not allow her relationship with the secretary, but also does not allow him to become happy with another woman. All these intrigues, in which a lot of secondary characters are involved, are poured into a comic story about class prejudices.

Lope de Vega greatly influenced not only the Spanish drama, but also the development of all world literature. He managed to unite in his work many motives, create inimitable images and show his modern life without embellishment. That is why his works are still popular and in demand.