Gender and the Discourse of Decay in El burlador de Sevilla

This study focuses on the kinds of speech used for perverse purposes, characterizing the ethical and moral decay of the period. It begins with Don Juan's control of other men and their views on the feminine gender. It continues with Don Juan's manipulation of women by the use of seductive discourse and their comments on the male of the species. It shows that Don Juan's deceitful practice of proposing matrimony and then reneging does not invalidate the premise set forth by the proponents of the Speech-Act Theory that speech is action. It argues that the verbal promises merely assist the rogue to gain access to sexual pleasure and the subsequent enjoyment of seeing others suffer. The discourses of decay consist of many forms of rhetoric summarized in the conclusion. Both genders, but especially the masculine, must share the burden of the moral, social and political decadence of the period.