José Zorrilla y Moral
José Zorrilla y Moral was a prominent Spanish poet and playwright, celebrated as a key figure of Spanish Romanticism. Born into a conflicted family environment, he pursued poetry against his parents' wishes, eventually marrying despite familial disapproval, which led to a tumultuous lifestyle often marked by poverty. Zorrilla gained significant public attention in 1837 when he dramatically mourned the suicide of fellow poet Mariano José de Larra, a moment that catalyzed his literary career. He was later elected to the Royal Academy in 1848 and is best known for his lyrical and dramatic works that explore themes of mystery, melancholy, and religion within the context of Spain’s rich history.
His most famous work, "Don Juan Tenorio," showcases the archetypal Romantic hero and has become a staple in Spanish theatrical tradition, especially performed during the Day of the Dead. Despite his own critical view of the drama, describing it as "the greatest nonsense ever written," it resonates deeply with audiences for its exploration of human duality and love's redemptive power. Zorrilla's contributions to literature reflect a complex blend of rapid production, emotional depth, and cultural richness, establishing him as one of Spain's leading poets of the 19th century.
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Subject Terms
José Zorrilla y Moral
Spanish playwright and poet
- Born: February 21, 1817
- Birthplace: Valladolid, Spain
- Died: January 23, 1893
- Place of death: Madrid, Spain
Biography
José Zorrilla y Moral (zawr-REE-yah ee moh-RAHL) is representative of Spanish Romanticism not only in his writing but in his life. As a young man he was, despite parental opposition, lured from the study of law by his love for poetry. His marriage to a woman of whom his father disapproved widened the breach, and as a bohemian, he frequently lived in poverty. He was able, however, to visit France in 1846 to meet the leading poets of Paris and later to travel to Mexico at the request of Emperor Maximilian to direct the National Theater. He lived in Mexico from 1855 until 1866. {$S[A]Moral, José Zorrilla y;Zorrilla y Moral, José}
He became famous in 1837, when as a gaunt youth he leaped into the grave of the suicide Mariano José de Larra, a poet and journalist who wrote under the name Figaro, and read emotional verses about the loneliness of a poet and the sacredness of his mission. This act initiated fifty years of literary production. He became a member of the Royal Academy in 1848. His lyrical and dramatic poetry was characterized by themes of mystery, melancholy, and religion against a background of wild nature. Old legends provided him with themes, and he wrapped himself in the splendor of his country’s past.
Zorrilla was also the author of about twenty original dramas, all written with speed and facility and many patterned on the cloak-and-sword dramas of the Golden Age. His mastery of many verse forms established him as one of Spain’s leading poets, and in 1881, appropriately in Granada, he was proclaimed poet laureate of Spain. Don Juan Tenorio brought him his highest fame, though he called it “the greatest nonsense ever written.” In spite of its exaggerations, melodramatic improbability, and technical flaws, the drama expresses the spirit of Spanish Romanticism and is performed throughout the Spanish-speaking world on the first of November for the Day of the Dead. A good performance of it is an artistic delight. Many like to believe that the play dramatizes fundamental eternal truths and that the characters personify the inner duality of the earthy and spiritual elements inherent in human nature. Zorilla’s Don Juan, the archetypal Romantic hero, is saved by the pure love of his Inés.
Bibliography
Arias, Judith H. “The Devil at Heaven’s Door: Metaphysical Desire in Don Juan Tenorio.” Hispanic Review 61, no. 1 (Winter, 1993): 15. A discussion of the boundary between the real and the fictional in Don Juan Tenorio.
Cardwell, Richard A., and Ricardo Landeira, eds. José de Zorrilla: Centennial Readings. Nottingham, England: University of Nottingham, 1993. These essays honoring the one-hundred-year anniversary of Zorrilla y Moral’s death discuss his life and works. Includes bibliographical references.
Schurlknight, Donald E. Spanish Romanticism in Context: Of Subversion, Contradiction, and Politics: Espronceda, Larra, Rivas, Zorrilla. Lanham, Md.: University Press of America, 1998. A study of the role of politics in Spanish Romanticism that examines the works of Zorrilla y Moral, José de Espronceda, Mariano José de Larra, and Angel de Saavedra (Rivas). Includes bibliography and index.
Ter Horst, Robert. “Epic Descent: The Filiations of Don Juan.” MLN 111, no. 2 (March, 1996): 255. The author compares and contrasts Zorrilla y Moral’s Don Juan Tenorio with Tirso de Molina’s El burlador de Sevilla (1630).