An Episode in Vicente Espinel's Marcos de Obregón taken from Lope de Vega

Many possible sources have been proposed for the episode in Vicente Espinel's Marcos de Obregón in which the protagonist is captured by Moors and held prisoner in Algiers. However, a careful analysis reveals that the direct and immediate inspiration for this central episode is Lope de Vega's Viuda, casada y doncella (1597). A study of the chief action in act 2 of Lope's play shows that it coincides almost exactly with the story of Marcos's "cure" of his Moorish captor's daughter in the segunda relación of Espinel's novel. Outside evidence proves that Espinel had read Lope's play while he was writing Marcos de Obregón (1614-1616). Espinel, who worked as a censor for the Inquisition, signed and dated the aprobación on July 26, 1616 for the Séptima parte de las comedias de Lope de Vega, in which Viuda, casada y doncella was printed. Although scholars have long known that Espinel and Lope were good friends, we now know that Espinel imitated the work of the younger dramatist.