The Star of Seville by Unknown
"The Star of Seville" is a dramatic work attributed to an unknown author, set in the backdrop of medieval Seville during the reign of King Sancho IV of Castile. The play centers around a romantic storyline involving Estrella Tabera, known as the Star of Seville, and the tumultuous circumstances surrounding her family and royal entanglements. The king, captivated by Estrella's beauty, seeks to woo her, leading to a series of events marked by honor, betrayal, and tragic consequences.
The plot thickens as Estrella's brother, Don Bustos, navigates his loyalty to his sister and his role amidst the king's affections. Themes of dueling honor and the complexities of love unfold as characters face moral dilemmas, particularly illustrated by Don Sancho Ortiz, who finds himself entangled in a deadly conflict with Don Bustos. The play culminates in a dramatic exploration of justice and personal sacrifice, revealing the stark contrasts between royal power and the dignity of the Seville citizens.
Ultimately, the narrative addresses the weight of honor and its repercussions, culminating in a tragic ending that underscores the impossibility of reconciling love with familial loyalty. "The Star of Seville" serves as an insightful reflection on human emotions and societal expectations during a pivotal era in Spanish history.
On this Page
The Star of Seville by Unknown
First produced:La estrella de Sevilla, c. 1617 (English translation, 1837)
Type of work: Drama
Type of plot: Tragedy
Time of plot: Thirteenth century
Locale: Seville
Principal characters
King Sancho IV, the Brave , the ruler of CastileEstrella Tabera , the Star of SevilleDon Bustos Tabera , her brotherDon Arias , the king’s confidantDon Pedro de Guzmán andDon Farfán de Riviera , alcaldes of SevilleDon Sancho Ortiz , a nobleman of SevilleClarindo , Don Sancho’s servant
The Story:
Sancho IV, king of Castile, is delighted with his welcome to Seville, and he is especially charmed by a black-haired beauty he catches sight of on a balcony. The alcaldes of the city identify her as Estrella Tabera, the Star of Seville. King Sancho whispers orders to his confidant, Arias, telling him to arrange for the monarch to visit Estrella the next evening. He also sends for Estrella’s brother, Don Bustos Tabera, in the hope of winning his agreement to the royal suit.
When Don Bustos is offered the command of the military post at Archidona, already sought by two veteran soldiers, the nobleman amazes the king by refusing the honor and by accepting with obvious reluctance other friendly gestures; his excuse is that he does not deserve them. At home, Don Bustos finds his sister and Don Sancho Ortiz planning their marriage. Before long the disguised king appears, but Don Bustos, pleading a house in disorder and foreseeing the possibility of a scandal, does not invite him in. Arias does succeed in entering the house, however. When he reveals his errand, Estrella indignantly refuses his request that she be kind to the king. Arias has better luck when he tries to bribe Matilde, the maid, who promises to admit the king to the house after dark.
That night, after the king has been admitted, Don Bustos returns home unexpectedly and finds the monarch there. Pretending not to believe that the intruder is the king, since a noble and just ruler would not stoop to dishonor, Don Bustos insults him as a masquerader. The angry king, with no legal way to get revenge for the insults he has endured, sends for Don Sancho Ortiz and offers to arrange the young nobleman’s marriage to anyone he chooses, in return for ridding the king of an enemy. Don Sancho is given a paper on which is written the name of the man he is supposed to kill.
In the meantime, Don Bustos, having forced Matilde to confess her treachery, hangs her from the king’s balcony. Then he instructs Estrella to arrange for her marriage to Don Sancho at once, and she sends her lover a message informing him of the plan and asking him to come to her. Don Sancho is faced with a conflict between duty and inclination. He loves Estrella, but he has sworn to serve the king faithfully; thus, when he meets Don Bustos, he picks a quarrel with his sweetheart’s brother and kills him in a duel. Afterward he stubbornly refuses to give any explanation of his deed and is taken, under arrest, to the Triana prison.
Estrella, awaiting the arrival of Don Sancho, receives instead the body of her dead brother. When she learns the name of his killer, she decides to go at once to the king to demand vengeance. Before her arrival at the palace, the king has already been assured that Don Sancho is loyally keeping silent about the king’s part in the death of Don Bustos. Since justice is expected, however, the king is forced to order the execution of Don Sancho. Speaking to Arias, the king marvels at the honor and dignity of the citizens of Seville.
When Estrella appears, the king delegates to her the power to pass sentence on the murderer of her brother and sends her, with his ring, to the Triana prison. Alone, he soliloquizes on the tragic results of his unbridled passion. Meanwhile, in the prison, loyal Clarindo is trying to amuse Don Sancho, who seems to be out of his mind. The alcaldes cannot understand his ravings or his refusal to explain his crime. He keeps telling them that he has acted as a king, and that it is the duty of someone else to confess. As they are about to order his execution, Estrella appears, veiled. By now her love has conquered her anger, and she orders the release of the prisoner.
At the palace, Arias keeps insisting that Don Sancho deserves to be saved. On the other hand, if the king were to confess, his action might cost him his throne. At last the king sends Arias to smooth things over, and in private Arias urges each alcalde to spare Don Sancho’s life. They, however, consider a pardon incompatible with their concepts of honor and royal dignity, and in spite of both Estrella and the king they order Don Sancho’s execution.
With such examples of honor confronting him, the king is moved by his own conscience to confess that he instigated the assassination. Since a king can do no wrong, he goes unpunished, and Don Sancho is set free. Don Sancho and Estrella refuse to obey the king’s order that they marry—the blood of Estrella’s slain brother separates them forever.
Bibliography
Bergmann, Emilie. “Reading and Writing in the Comedia.” In The Golden Age Comedia: Text, Theory, and Performance, edited by Charles Ganelon and Howard Manning. West Lafayette, Ind.: Purdue University Press, 1994. Discusses the ways that reading and writing define women’s roles in The Star of Seville. Compares the treatment of women in this play with the depiction of women in another contemporary drama.
Oriel, Charles. Writing and Inscription in Golden Age Drama. West Lafayette, Ind.: Purdue University Press, 1992. A chapter on The Star of Seville focuses on the written texts, such as letters, that appear in the play and explores their function in illuminating the code of honor.
Samson, Alexander, and Jonathan Thacker, eds. A Companion to Lope de Vega. Rochester, N.Y.: Tamesis, 2008. Twenty-one essays provide various interpretations of Vega Carpio’s life and work. Includes discussions of Vega Carpio and the theater of Madrid, his religious drama, his chronicle memory plays, his comedies, and Vega Carpio as icon.
Thomas, Henry. Introduction to The Star of Seville. New York: Oxford University Press, 1950. Calls the work one of the greatest plays of the Golden Age of Spanish drama. Analyzes the development of the king, Don Sancho, and Don Busto, whose varying understandings of the concept of honor lie at the heart of the drama.
Wright, Elizabeth R. Pilgrimage to Patronage: Lope de Vega and the Court of Philip III, 1598-1621. Lewisburg, Pa.: Bucknell University Press, 2001. Chronicles how Vega Carpio used his publications and public appearances to win benefactors at the court of Philip III. Describes how his search for patrons shaped his literary work and how the success of his plays altered the court’s system of artistic patronage.
Ziomek, Henryk. A History of Spanish Golden Age Drama. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1984. Briefly sketches the dramatic conflict of The Star of Seville, discusses the theme of loyalty, and comments on historical parallels.