Gutierre's Personality in El medico de su honra

Persiles" Hispanic Review, 42 (1974), 35968 , for Tirso's possible use of material from Cervantes' novel as semi-historical, semi-fictive background to the early career of Francisco Pizarro in the first act of Todo es dar en una cosa. 23 See Mario Penna, Don Giovanni e il mistero di Tirso (Turin: Rosenberg & Sellier, 1958), at p. 51 where, regarding the possible conception of Gabriel Téllez in Italy, he admits : ". . . il fatto che un bambino può benissimo essere concepito in Napoli e nascere poi in Madrid." Cf- also Gerald Wade's additional material from Gregorio Leti's La vita di don Pietro Giron, Duca d'Ossuna (Amsterdam , 1699) in "The Year of Tirso's Birth," Hispanófila, 19 (1963), 1-9, esp. pp. 4-6. 24 These details are retailed from E. Cotarelo y Mori's Tirso de Molina: Investigaciones bio-bibliográficas (Madrid, 1893), at pp. 198200 . See also his fuller treatment on contemporary actors and actresses, Actores famosos del siglo XVII: Sebastián de Prado y su mujer Bernarda Ramírez (Madrid: RABM, 1916). GUTIERRE'S PERSONALITY IN EL MEDICO DESU HONRA Everett W. Hesse, University of Maryland Some recent and important studies of Calderón's El médico de su honra have dealt in large measure with the question of whether King Pedro is a just or unjust monarch; an accompanying problem is that of fixing the responsibility for Mencia's death.' Another examines the play as tragedy2; still another scrutinizes the metaphors of silence, suppression and related concepts .3 I should like to trace the progression of the degeneration of Gutierre 's personality. The deterioration is complex and is brought about by a traumatic situation, which in turn is magnified by circumstantial evidence, half-truths, an unchecked imagination, an emotional instability, and a false set of criteria that leads on the one hand to sanguinary catastrophe and on the other to the triumph of questionable social and moral values. Calderón's treatment of Gutierre's depravation probably owes some indebtedness to Seneca's love tragedies where the characters commit horrendous crimes, manifesting intense hatred and jealousy.4 They cover their foul deeds under the cloak of secrecy and concealment and express their passions, doubts, fears and brooding revenge in introspective soliloquies . Their thoughts revolve around one center — themselves. To enhance the validity of Calderón's portrayal of Gutierre's personality, I have availed myself of the psychological insights provided by W. R. D. Fairbairn , An Object-Relation Theory of the Personality (New York: Basic Books, 1954).5 Fairbairn's approach to psychoanalysis starts at the center of the personality, the ego, and depicts its strivings and difficulties in its endeavor to reach an object where it may find support. His premise is that all people without exception must be considered potentially schizoid. Splits in the ego usually occur under conditions of extreme suffering and indicate a failure of the personality to adapt itself to changing conditions. Fairbairn singles out three characteristics as worthy of special consideration: (1) an attitude of omnipotence, (2) an attitude of isolation and detachment, and (3) a preoccupation with inner reality (p. 6). In the first half of the play Gutierre is described as a virtuous caballero, punctilious in matters of honor. Having 11 discovered a man at night in Leonor's house (I, 915-20)6, he summarily broke their engagement. He states he will never lie, and especially to the king: No os he de mentir en nada, que el hombre, señor, de bien, no sabe mentir jamás, y más delante del Rey. (I, 837-40) He will never betray a confidence by failing to keep his word (II, 244-49). He will never cast aspersions on the character of women who are not present to defend themselves (I, 885-88). He loves his wife Mencia (whom he had married after the break with Leonor), not only as a husband, but also as a lover (11,159-66), never giving her cause for jealousy, and loving her even more now than before ( III, 8799 ). In fact Gutierre has showered all kinds of favors on her "porque malos tratamientos / son para maridos viles" (111...