The Spanish Friar: Or, The Double Discovery: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Spanish Friar: Or, The Double Discovery" is a complex drama set against the backdrop of political intrigue and personal dilemmas. The story features Torrismond, a noble warrior who unknowingly marries Queen Leonora while navigating the treacherous dynamics of the kingdom. Leonora, caught between her obligations and her true feelings for Torrismond, grapples with the consequences of her decisions, particularly regarding her father's legacy and the rightful king. Duke Bertran, while initially depicted as a rival, reveals a more nuanced character that balances diplomacy with personal ambition.
Central to the narrative is the figure of Father Dominic, a comical and morally ambiguous friar who embodies both the failings and the quirks of human nature within the religious context. His antics often provide levity, contrasting with the serious undertones of betrayal and loyalty that permeate the story. Alongside him, characters like Lorenzo and Elvira add to the complexity, as their misguided affections and schemes create a tension that drives the plot forward. This interplay of love, duty, and deception invites readers to explore the moral complexities of the characters and their choices within a richly woven tapestry of relationships and societal expectations.
The Spanish Friar: Or, The Double Discovery: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: John Dryden
First published: 1681
Genre: Play
Locale: Aragon, Spain
Plot: Tragicomedy
Time: Fifteenth century
Torrismond (TOHR-ihs-muhnd), the reputed son of Raymond but actually the son of the deposed King Sancho of Aragon. This gallant young warrior has just saved the kingdom from the Moors. Returning, he valiantly declares his love for Queen Leonora in the presence of his rival, Bertran, the duke who has been defeated three times by the Moors but who is betrothed to the queen. Torrismond, true to the dictates of his conscience, weds the queen without knowing that there is a plot to murder the imprisoned King Sancho. Turning first toward, then away from, his wife, he is urged to join the loyalists led by Raymond, exiled since the usurper king and then the usurper's daughter, Queen Leonora, came to power. Torrismond remains loyal to his wife. He is overjoyed when he learns that Bertran had merely spread the rumor that King Sancho was dead. Further, he feels that as prince regent he can successfully rule the kingdom.
Queen Leonora (lay-uh-noh-rah), the successor to her father's usurped throne, betrothed to Bertran but actually in love with Torrismond, the savior of Aragon. Beautiful yet benevolent, Leonora is overwhelmed with love for the warrior hero, a sense of obligation to the people of her kingdom who suffer invasion because she had turned down the marriage proposal of a Moorish king, and guilt for not loving as her father directed. She craftily tests Bertran, who offers to kill Sancho, the rightful king, but she regrets her actions when she discovers that the old king is in reality her father-in-law. Her penitence brings tears to the eyes of her worst enemies, and her love for Torrismond is deeply returned.
Duke Bertran (behr-TRAHN), a peer of the new realm and the betrothed of the queen. Although he is inept in battle and envious of the conquering hero, Bertran shows himself to be a diplomat by neither protesting his fate too loudly nor resorting to the villainy he espouses. Finally forgiven his duplicity, he is called brother by his rival, Torrismond.
Raymond, the foster father of Prince Torrismond and an emissary to the deposed king. Returning after some years in exile to find that the boy he reared is the defender of the kingdom, Raymond is forced to tell Torrismond that King Sancho is his true father and that the young man must therefore expose his bride as a usurper who disloyally schemed to murder the old king. He is finally moved to mercy after leading an insurrection.
Father Dominic (DOM-ih-nihk), the Spanish friar who serves self before God and who humorously plays pimp in the name of the church. A Falstaffian priest, the imbibing and blackmailing Dominic scorns money except for charity, charity being his own immense belly. He cozens miserly Don Gomez to bring a young gallant to the ancient man's young and desirous wife. Although constantly on the brink of disaster, the brazen friar weathers every storm through his quick tongue and merry wit.
Lorenzo (loh-REHN-zoh), the young soldier who has designs on Elvira, the wife of a moneylender. Extremely volatile, Lorenzo presses a licentious suit through the good offices of his loved one's ghostly confessor, the fat friar. He is on the point of winning her by kidnaping the husband when he discovers that Elvira is really his sister.
Elvira (ehl-VEE-rah), the coquettish young virgin bride who seeks a handsome soldier. Roguish and waggish to an extreme, the beautiful Elvira agrees to the licentious proposal presented by Lorenzo through the importuning of Friar Dominic. The elopement is discovered in time to prevent incest, and the witty young sister passes off the affair as the natural affection she felt toward her brother.
Don Gomez, an elderly usurer who is wed to Elvira.