Analysis of 'Don Alvaro' and 'Don Juan Tenorio'

The Romantic Drama: 'Don Alvaro' and 'Force of Destiny'

The work consists of five days:

• Day One: Don Alvaro is in love with Leonor, the daughter of a noble from Seville. They flee to get married in secret, but her father discovers them. A fight ensues, and Don Alvaro throws a gun down, which fires accidentally. Leonor must decide between filial duty and her love for Alvaro, which determines the final outcome.
• Day Two: Leonor retreats to a monastery in Hornacuelos.
• Days Three and Four: In Italy, Don Alvaro kills Carlos, Leonor's brother, and is sentenced to death but is saved.
• Day Five: Don Alvaro retires to Hornacuelos, unaware of his beloved's proximity. He discovers Leonor, and Alvaro kills her. Before dying, Leonor commits suicide.

The protagonist is a prototype of the romantic hero who sees the world and society as having closed off life's opportunities. Their love is thwarted, and the successive deaths lead to an increasingly tragic situation, culminating in suicide.

Language and Style

The work blends prose and verse, mindful of polymetry. The characters' speech seriously combines style and high emotion. In the most dramatic moments of excitement, it expresses typical Romantic codes. Numerous asides about the set design and costumes are included.

'Don Juan Tenorio': Argument

Don Juan lives a life of love affairs and duels because of a bet. He abducts Doña Inés, who falls in love with him, but he kills her father and flees. When he returns, Doña Inés has died of love. He goes to the family vault and sees the ghost of his beloved, who tells him to repent to be saved, which he then does.

Structure, Time, and Place

The book is divided into two parts: the first in four acts and the second in three. The main action takes place in a single night. The most important aspect of time is the deadline for the final outcome. The setting alternates between historical and various open and closed spaces.

Characters

Don Juan continues a literary tradition from the Trickster of Seville by Tirso de Molina to Espronceda. The character has the characteristics of the romantic hero, awarded to an asocial and demonic character. The scenic weight rests on the characters, especially the protagonist, whose performance is vital to the story's credibility. Doña Inés gains influence as a female character, another romantic lead, who is constructed as Don Juan's redeeming feature.

Non-Verbal Codes

Although the non-verbal codes offer a lower degree of importance in 'Don Juan Tenorio' than in 'Don Alvaro', they are particularly striking in the final scenes.