Abstract

Little has been written about the rhetorical structure of the works of the Mexican playwright Juan Ruiz de Alarcón y Mendoza. This essay analyzes three key aspects of his style that find expression in the vast majority of his plays: adynaton (the appeal via the impossible); the utilization of motifs derived from the emblem tradition as a way to evoke a verbal image imbued with deeper meanings; and the frequent use of proverbs and refrains, a device that appealed to all members of the corral audience and communicated traditional wisdom with great verbal economy and humor. (JTC)

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