The Mayor of Zalamea facts for kids
The Mayor of Zalamea (Spanish: El Alcalde de Zalamea) is a famous play from Spain. It was written by Pedro Calderón de la Barca around 1636. This play became very popular, even more so than a similar play by Lope de Vega. It tells a story in three parts about a regular person's strength against powerful leaders in 17th-century Spain. It also shows the constant fight between a family's good name and a person's own honor.
Contents
Main Characters in the Play
Pedro Crespo: The Farmer
- Pedro Crespo is an old, rich farmer. He worked very hard to earn his money. He is not from a noble family. For Pedro, his honor and his faith in God are the most important things. But his strong beliefs are tested when he becomes the mayor.
Don Lope of Figueroa: The General
- Don Lope is a general leading soldiers. His troops stop in Zalamea. He is a very proud general. Sometimes he makes big promises without thinking them through. He represents the military in the play.
Don Alvaro of Ataide: The Captain
- Don Alvaro is a captain under Don Lope. He stays at Pedro Crespo's house but acts very rudely. He causes trouble during his visit. Later, after most soldiers leave, he stays behind and wrongs Isabel. Juan catches him, and Pedro Crespo later has him hanged.
Isabel: Pedro's Daughter
- Isabel is Pedro Crespo's daughter. She knows that soldiers can be a danger to a family's good name. She tries to protect her virtue to keep her family's honor safe. She is known for being very beautiful. In the end, she decides to join a convent.
Juan: Pedro's Son
- Juan is Pedro Crespo's son. He decides to join Don Lope's army. But he comes back when he hears a young woman in trouble. He hurts the person causing the trouble. Then he realizes it is Don Alvaro, and the woman is his own sister.
Rebolledo: The Soldier
- Rebolledo is a soldier who works for Don Alvaro. He helps Don Alvaro pretend to fight to trick Ines. He hopes to get special permission to gamble with La Chispa. But he feels bad for tricking Ines after she helps him escape the fake fight.
La Chispa: Rebolledo's Friend
- La Chispa is Rebolledo's partner. Her name means "The Spark." She wants to get special permission to gamble with Rebolledo.
Other Characters
- Ines: She is Isabel's cousin.
- Don Mendo: He is a nobleman who is very poor. But he tries to act like he is rich. He hopes to marry Isabel for her family's money.
- Nuño: He is Don Mendo's servant.
- Philip II of Spain: The King of Spain.
Story Summary
Act One: Soldiers Arrive
A group of soldiers led by General Don Lope of Figueroa stops in the town of Zalamea. The captain, Don Alvaro, stays at the home of the rich farmer, Pedro Crespo. Pedro Crespo hears about the soldiers' plans. He decides to hide his daughter, Isabel, and his niece in the attic. He knows that soldiers can sometimes cause problems for a family's honor.
But Don Alvaro arrives wanting to see Isabel. He has heard how beautiful she is. While staying at Pedro Crespo's house, Don Alvaro plans to fake a fight with Rebolledo. He wants Rebolledo to run into the attic. This way, Don Alvaro can see Isabel and decide if the rumors about her beauty are true. The plan works. But the noise also gets the attention of General Don Lope. Don Lope decides to stay at Pedro's house too. Pedro and Don Lope immediately dislike each other. Don Lope boldly says he would hang anyone who harms his soldiers. Pedro makes a similar promise for anyone who harms his honor. He says honor connects a person to their soul and to God. They both leave, each thinking the other is very stubborn.
Act Two: Trouble Begins
The day Don Alvaro leads his soldiers out of Zalamea, he leaves them with another officer. He secretly returns to Zalamea for Isabel. Juan, Pedro's son, has also decided to leave and become a soldier with Don Lope's army.
Isabel comes out of the house with her family to say goodbye to her brother. The captain, Don Alvaro, takes her. Some of his men stop Pedro Crespo and Ines from helping her. Juan has not gone far. He hears cries of distress and returns to help. He does not know that it is his own father or sister who are in trouble.
Act Three: Justice is Served
Isabel, who has been badly wronged by Don Alvaro, wanders until she finds her father. She tells him what happened. She also tells him that her brother injured Don Alvaro. Both Isabel and Pedro feel like they want to die because their honor seems ruined. But Pedro brings his daughter back to town.
Once there, Pedro finds out he has been chosen as the new mayor. He also learns that King Philip II will arrive in town the next day. He discovers that the soldiers are still in town. They are trying to help Don Alvaro with his wound. Pedro, as a father, goes to Don Alvaro. He begs him to marry his daughter. He offers any amount of his money as a wedding gift. Don Alvaro gets angry and refuses.
Pedro then arrests Don Alvaro, deciding to handle things legally. As mayor, Pedro also arrests Juan when he returns, for hurting an officer. Don Lope hears about Don Alvaro's arrest. He returns to Zalamea ready to storm the jail. Just then, the King arrives. After hearing all the facts, the King agrees that the law has been followed. But he says the accused must be tried somewhere else. Pedro then shows that justice has already happened. He opens a door to reveal that Don Alvaro has already been hanged. Pedro argues that it does not matter who hangs a man who is going to die anyway. The King cannot argue with this idea. Pedro is then made the permanent mayor of Zalamea. Juan is forgiven and goes back to Don Lope's army. Isabel decides to go to a convent to restore her honor with God.
Important Ideas in the Play
Honor and Social Class
Regular People vs. Noblemen
- Pedro Crespo stays a farmer, even though he is rich and good. He is not a "Don," which is a title for noble people. He chooses not to buy a noble title. Everyone already knows who he is and how he got his wealth.
- Don Mendo has a noble title, even though he is poor and refuses to work. His title is a joke in the town. This shows that having a noble title did not mean as much anymore.
Civilians and the Military
- Pedro Crespo represents the regular people. He promises to protect the honor of individuals. He believes this honor is their only connection to God.
- Pedro also protects the honor of justice as the mayor. He chooses to arrest both Don Alvaro and his own son.
- Pedro and his children are willing to die if it means restoring their honor with God.
- Don Lope shows the military's honor to the King. His promises must also be respected, even if they are sometimes made too quickly.
- The military had the right to stay wherever they chose. Civilians could not refuse them. This often caused problems when soldiers stopped in a town.
Other Versions of the Play
Actor and playwright Leo Ditrichstein translated the play into English in 1917. But it was not very successful. This production was notable because it gave William Powell an early role as Captain Don Alvaro. Adrian Mitchell's version was put on stage by the National Theatre in 1981. Michael Bryant played the main role.
The play has also been made into several movies:
- A German silent film in 1920 called The Mayor of Zalamea.
- A Spanish sound film in 1954 also called The Mayor of Zalamea.
- An East German version in 1956, The Mayor of Zalamea.
See also
In Spanish: El alcalde de Zalamea para niños
