Don Juan Tenorio: Analysis of Major Characters
"Don Juan Tenorio" is a renowned Spanish play that explores the life of its titular character, Don Juan, a reckless young nobleman deeply immersed in a world of vice. The play depicts Don Juan's audacious wager with his friend, Mejia, challenging himself to commit more immoral acts within a year. Through his exploits, he not only betrays and harms those around him, including his fiancée Inés and his friend, but also faces the tragic consequences of his actions, culminating in a series of deaths that lead to his own potential damnation.
Key characters include Inés de Ulloa, a novice whose love ultimately leads Don Juan toward redemption, and Don Gonzalo de Ulloa, Inés's father, who dies trying to protect her. The villainous servant, Marcos Ciutti, facilitates Don Juan's misdeeds, while Don Luis Mejia seeks vengeance for the wrongs done to his fiancée, Ana. The play further emphasizes themes of love, redemption, and the moral repercussions of one's actions, particularly through the haunting presence of the cemetery filled with statues of Don Juan's victims. As the narrative unfolds, the interplay between sin and the possibility of repentance adds depth to the character dynamics and moral questions posed throughout the story.
Don Juan Tenorio: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: José Zorrilla y Moral
First published: 1844 (English translation, 1944)
Genre: Play
Locale: Seville, Spain
Plot: Comedy
Time: c. 1545
Don Juan Tenorio (hwahn teh-NOH-ree-oh), a wild young gallant whose life is so devoted to vice that he wagers his friend Mejia that he can perform more evil deeds than Mejia in a year's time. Don Juan wins the wager but in doing so he ravishes his fiancée, Inés, kills her father, ravishes Mejia's fiancée, and kills Mejia. Inés dies of grief. Don Juan's saddened father establishes a cemetery containing statues of his son's victims. Years later, when Don Juan visits the cemetery, Inés' statue pleads with him to repent. He hesitates, but her love is so strong that she saves him just as he is about to be dragged off to Hell.
Marcos Ciutti (see-EW-tee), Don Juan's villainous servant. He bribes Ana's duenna to admit his master, and Brigida to carry a note to Inés.
Inés de Ulloa (ee-NEHS deh ew-YOH-ah), a novice in a convent whom Don Juan hopes to marry. Her appearance to Don Juan after her death persuades him to repent, so that at the end she can save him from Hell's eternal fire.
Don Luis Mejia (lew-EES meh-HEE-ah), a gallant of Seville, engaged to Ana and killed seeking revenge for her wrongs from Don Juan.
Don Gonzalo de Ulloa (gohn-ZAH-loh), comendador (knight commander) of Calatrava. His attempt to rescue Inés results in his death.
Don Diego Tenorio (dee-EH-goh), who visits a Seville inn to check on his son's bad reputation. He later establishes a cemetery containing statues of Don Juan's victims.
Ana de Pantoja (pahn-TOH-hah), the fiancée of Mejia.
Brigida (BRE-hee-dah), the duenna of Inés.
Two officers, who witness the discussion of the wager and five years later explain to Don Juan the significance of the cemetery. He invites them and the statue of the comendador to come to dinner.