Erotic Paranoia and Wife Murder in Calderonian Drama

Calderon's three famous wife-murder plays "El medico de su honra," "A secreto agravio, secreta venganza," and "El pintor de su deshonra" dramatize the predicament of the husbands who believe they have been dishonored through adulterous acts committed by their wives...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Hispanic review 2002-07, Vol.70 (3), p.333-353
Main Author: Heigl, Michaela J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adultery
Alchemy
Calderon de la Barca, Pedro (1600-81)
Desire
Drama
Envy
Husbands
Killing
Literary criticism
Marriage
Passion
Revenge
Sexual violence
Spouses
Wives
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Summary:Calderon's three famous wife-murder plays "El medico de su honra," "A secreto agravio, secreta venganza," and "El pintor de su deshonra" dramatize the predicament of the husbands who believe they have been dishonored through adulterous acts committed by their wives, who are consequently killed. There were very few recorded cases of wife-murder in the 16th as well as the 17th century. Heigl considers the honor/vengeance as a dramatic convention which signifies on a symbolic plane; it expresses anxieties linked to a loss of self-control and rationality.
ISSN:0018-2176
1553-0639
DOI:10.2307/3247206