Tirso's Pizarro Trilogy: A Case of Sycophancy or Lese-Majesty?

Tirso's Pizarro trilogy, because of its historic theme and also because of its interesting position in the chronology of his dramatic work, presents the reader/ critic with certain difficulties. If the author's prime intention was, as has been suggested to date, to glorify the Pizarro family, then why did he choose to highlight and give prominence to what might be described as the darker moments of the family history — Francisco's illegitimacy, Gonzalo's treason and execution and Fernando's long imprisonment at the hands of Philip II? This rather unexpected view of the conquistadores sets up a series of variations on the theme suggested by the title of the third play La Lealtad contra la Envidia. The combination of such a manifestly political theme with a setting, not in the distant past but for the most part in the relatively recent reigns of Charles V and of Philip II, gives an added edge to the strong political criticism contained in the play. When we consider that the play was written subsequent to the edict of the Junta de Reformación, which forbade his writing any further comedias or versos profanos, and yet immediately prior to his renunciation of the secular comedia, these plays provide an interesting insight into the state of mind of their recalcitrant author. (MGOT)