Artful Women in Positions of Power: Three Examples from Tirso de Molina

Abstract

The present study examines three plays by Tirso de Molina (Amar por señas, El castigo del penséque and Quien calla otorga) in which female protagonists in positions of power (or as relatives of those in power) use their authority to confuse and deceive the male protagonists, who is a foreigner in their lands. Their position allows them to go beyond the typical deceptions of Tirso’s intrigue comedies (e. g., Don Gil de las calzas verdes). Concretely, they manage to detain the young man physically, to torment him without revealing their identity and to send ambiguous message that keep the male character in uncertainty. However, they are constrained by their sense of honor and it is implied that, after the traditional wedding that ends these plays, the women will no longer have the authority to continue their manipulation.