La lengua del gracioso y el mundo del carnaval en El desdén, con el desdén de Moreto

The essay studies the language of the gracioso Polilla as representative of the culture of carnival in this work. Besides the fact that the play revolves around the famous carnival of Barcelona, the presence of Polilla in the play contributes to deflating the haughtiness of Princess Diana with a type of language unmistakably associated with the culture of carnival.

My paper explores the use of carnivalesque imagery in three areas, related to food ingestion, disease, and games of chance (juegos de azar). Since most of these point to concealed sexual or scatological double entendres, the paper ultimately underlines the strong but hidden erotic content that pervades the whole play, and, by placing Moreto's play in the context of the Spain of the Hapsburgs, considers to what extent Polilla's language can be considered subversive and genuinely akin to the spirit of carnival. (JLC)