The famous Spanish playwright Lope de Vega, whose biography is full of many adventures, lived a long life and achieved success in the literary field. He loved many women (and they, in turn, were loyal to him), did what he loved, and did not lose heart, no matter what difficulties life presented him.
The childhood and youth of the writer
Lope de Vega was born in Madrid on November 25, 1562 in a wealthy family. The boy’s father was from a simple peasant family, but thanks to his abilities he could become a wealthy man. Therefore, he managed to give his son a quality education, and even buy him a patent for a noble title.
Already in childhood, the boy began to show a penchant for the humanities. According to the author himself, he began to write and translate texts of other writers very early, from the age of eleven. The father sent his son to study at a Jesuit school, after which he entered the university.
At the university, the future venerable Spanish writer studied from 1577 to 1581, but as a result he never managed to finish it.
Exile
At the age of 21 years, i.e. in 1583, Lope de Vega was a member of a campaign in the Azores. Returning, he continued to work as secretary of wealthy aristocrats, although by this time he was already a playwright, known throughout Spain.
The year 1588 was significant in the writer's biography, because it was in this year that he was imprisoned, after which he was expelled from Madrid for 10 years. The reason for his imprisonment was an insult to a high-ranking nobleman. The writer was forced to leave for Valencia, where he took with him his faithful companion Isabel de Urbina, who later became his wife. In the same year, the coryphaeus of medieval Spanish drama set off on an invincible armada campaign, and then donkey with his lady of the heart.
While in Valencia, Lope de Vega gained a lot of new knowledge from local playwrights. In his works, he was able to combine all the techniques that he had previously mastered with the peculiarities of Valencia drama. As a result, he even created a treatise in verse, in which he outlined his views on the progressive dramatic system.
Personal life
Lope de Vega, whose biography is replete with many significant events, was very passionate in nature and gave his heart to many women.
Elena Osorio
The writer had a long and serious relationship with this woman. But they came to an end, because the lady led an immoral lifestyle, changing one lover after another, and once in his verses the demented de Vega ridiculed his chosen one and her family, using not the most pleasant epithets. For "slander" the author was expelled from Madrid.
Isabel de Urbina
Probably the most important woman in the life of the famous playwright was his lovely companion Isabel de Urbina, who, as noted above, voluntarily left her hometown and went into exile for her beloved. But not everything was so simple, because she was not the legal wife of the writer, and Isabel's parents were ardent opponents of the relationship before marriage. That is why they began a lawsuit against de Vega, which was closed as soon as the girl became his legal wife. Isabel occupied an important place not only in the life of the writer, but also in his work. Lope de Vega wrote about love for her in his dramas, where Isabel performed under the name Belisa. But this couple was not destined to live a long and happy life. In 1590, Isabel died, which was one of the most serious losses for de Vega. Unfortunately, children from this marriage also did not remain, since both children died in infancy.
Second marriage
The term of exile was drawing to a close, and Lope de Vega, whose drama only benefited from exile, returned to his native Madrid. But his glee about this turned out to be short-lived, as he soon again appeared in the courtroom as the accused in the case of widow cohabitation, which was the height of indecency at that time.
After the trial, the relationship was terminated, but the writer decided not to remain a bachelor for a long time, and married a second time in 1604. But this marriage was not happy: de Vega's wife and his son died.
Marta Nevares
The last beloved of the playwright was Marta Nevares, who fully devoted herself to the writer, and even divorced her husband for his sake. These relations were very long, but, unfortunately, this time it ended very sadly. Marta and Lope de Vega lived together for a decade and a half, but after a long illness, the writer’s muse died, leaving him alone.
Church
Quite a bit of information has been preserved regarding the religious views of the writer, but several facts remain unchanged.
In 1609, the author managed to get the title of "close to the Inquisition", which protected him from any accusations from the church. By the way, this became possible not without the help of the patron and mentor of de Vega, the Duke of de Secaque, for whom he worked as secretary.
In 1614, the writer became a priest, and thirteen years later - a doctor of theology. He received such a high title for a reason, and for writing a dramatic work dedicated to the incumbent Pope.
Old age
Lope de Vega, whose works were awarded the highest praise, continued to write until his advanced years. According to various sources, his creative heritage numbers from 1,500 to 2,000 plays, of which not more than 600 have survived to this day. The author wrote the last comedy a year before his death, and the last poem in a few days. Over the past few years, the writer has tried to atone for his sins and therefore led an ascetic life and spent a lot of time in prayers. He left the world on August 27, 1635. At the funeral of the playwright-monk gathered a lot of colleagues in the creative workshop and admirers of talent.
Creation
The writer became known mainly due to his dramatic works, but, despite this, his poems, elegies and odes are worthy of attention, into which the author has invested all his talent and love for art. De Vega sought to portray all the important features of his modern life, but he did it in his
relaxed manner.
For example, describing historical events, he did not seek to detail concrete facts, but perpetuated the glory of his homeland and its people. A vivid example of this is the comedy “Famous Women of Asturias”, in which the writer even used the appropriate dialect to convey the feat of the people as naturally as possible.
The theme of the Spanish-Christian monarchy was a favorite for Lope de Vega. The works in which he depicts the inhabitants of Castile are full of simple everyday scenes, as well as the fight against Muslims. The most striking specimens, exposing the historical features of this area, are the “King thrown into the abyss” and “Innocent blood”. Both dramas refer to kings who suffered punishment for their unrighteous deeds.
Theme
In his work, the author addresses a variety of topics. The books of Lope de Vega are full of adventure, color and various dramatic positions. So, in the drama “The Star of Seville”, the actors are forced to go through many trials, and the author only makes their life more tragic, forcing them to reach the pinnacle of happiness and immediately fall into the abyss of pain and suffering.
Surprisingly, the playwright did not ignore Russian history either. In one of the works of Lope de Vega, quotes from which were used by many critics, we are talking about False Dmitry. The play "Grand Duke of Moscow" tells the story of the life and fate of the Tsarevich. Less well known to a wide range of readers, but still worthy of attention, are spiritual and philosophical dramas.
The most famous work of the writer can be called the play "Dog in the Hay." As for the name of the work, it is believed that the very expression “dog in the manger” can be interpreted as a synonym for a person who does not use any good himself, but does not allow others to do this. The comedy tells of the relationship of an aristocrat named Diana and her secretary Theodoro. Given her position, Diana cannot allow her relationship with the secretary, but also does not allow him to become happy with another woman. All these intrigues, in which many secondary characters are involved, spill over into a comic story about class prejudices.
Lope de Vega significantly influenced not only the Spanish drama, but also the development of all world literature. He managed to combine many motives in his work, create inimitable images and show his modern life without embellishment. That is why his works are still popular and in demand.