The Dog in the Manger (play) facts for kids
The Dog in the Manger or The Gardener's Dog is a play written in 1618 by a famous Spanish writer named Lope de Vega. The play's title comes from an old saying about a dog that won't let anyone use something, even if it can't use it itself. This play is about the tricky feelings that come up when people from different social classes fall in love.
The main character is a proud countess named Diana. She doesn't want to marry the rich men who want her. Instead, she falls in love with her handsome young secretary, Teodoro. But Teodoro is already in love with her maid. Countess Diana doesn't want Teodoro and the maid to marry. But she also doesn't want to marry Teodoro herself. It's a complicated love story!
The Play's Story
The play shows how Countess Diana struggles with her feelings. She is a noblewoman, and Teodoro is her secretary, which means he is from a lower social class. In those days, people usually married others from their own class.
Diana feels jealous when she sees Teodoro with her maid. She tries to keep them apart. But she also can't bring herself to marry Teodoro because of their different social standing. This creates a lot of drama and confusion for everyone involved.
What Does the Title Mean?
The title of the play, The Dog in the Manger, comes from a well-known proverb. A manger is a feeding trough for farm animals. The saying describes a dog that lies in a manger full of hay. The dog doesn't eat the hay, but it won't let the cows or horses eat it either.
This proverb means someone who prevents others from having something that they themselves cannot use or do not want. Countess Diana acts like the dog in the manger. She doesn't want Teodoro for herself (because of his social class), but she also doesn't want anyone else to have him.
The Gardener's Dog Proverb
There is a similar saying in many European languages, like Spanish, French, and German. It talks about a gardener's dog. This dog guards the vegetables, like cabbages or lettuce. After the gardener dies, the dog still won't let anyone near the garden beds.
The saying goes, "He's like the gardener's dog that eats no cabbage and won't let others either." Or simply, "playing the gardener's dog" (Spanish: ser el perro del hortelano). This proverb perfectly describes Diana's actions in the play.
Movies and TV Shows
The Dog in the Manger has been made into movies and TV shows. In 1977, it was adapted for Russian TV as Sobaka na sene. This version was released in the USA as The Dog in the Manger.
Later, in 1996, a Spanish film based on the play was also released. It used the same title, The Dog in the Manger.
