TIRSO DE MOLINA

(1584 – 1648)

Tirso de Molina, whose real name was Gabriel Téllez, was born in Madrid. Some say that he was the illegitimate child of the Duke of Osuna. He entered the Order of La Merced when he was young, and soon, he was sent to America. But two years later he was again in Toledo, city where he lived the most part of his life.
When Tirso de Molina is mentioned, it comes to mind rapidly the Siglo de Oro of Spain. We just have to remember two of his well known dramas: The Love Rogue and The Saint and The Sinner.
He was criticized by his priest companions because in his works he used to deal with quite “human” topics. Later, the Consejo de Castilla forbad him to write for the same reasons. But, according to studies, he kept on writing secretly.
One of his main characteristics is that, even though he is a priest, he studies the women psychologically in his works, drawing the characters quite exactly. This is not very common in the literary works of the epoch. He also has no inconvenient on dress the female characters with male clothes.
Not only is the drama important in the work of this priest, but also the poetry. He is always measured, deep of concepts, with a clever and sharp sense of humour, but always charming and never wounding.
The poetic compositions always appear as a part of his drama pieces. He practiced the most part of the poetic ways of his times, popular and more complex. He has a lot of poetic “Certámenes”, most of them of religious content, but with humour and clever irony.