Fuenteovejuna Analysis: Characters, Justice, and Thematic Depth

Key Characters in Fuenteovejuna

Powerful Figures

• Commander Fernando Gómez: Portrayed as a feudal lord who believes his vassals belong to him. He behaves proudly, yet Lope de Vega also depicts him as a brave soldier.
• The Catholic Monarchs (RRCC): They appear functionally to dispense justice and legitimize the actions of the people. Their intervention corresponds to a stage procedure from the classical era known as Deus ex Machina, characterized by a god or important person resolving the conflict at the play's end. This is precisely what the Catholic Monarchs do.

The Collective Character of the People

While the people act as a collective character, it is important to distinguish a few key individuals:

• Frondoso: A loving, humble, and wise character. He ultimately acquires the noble qualities of a gentleman when he feels the need to defend his beloved.
• Mengo: A man of the people. Although illiterate, he possesses an intuitive grasp of justice and common sense, demonstrating a mental acuity that compensates for his lack of formal education. He sometimes plays a humorous role, though occasionally verging on the ridiculous.
• Esteban: Laurencia's father and the mayor. Throughout the play, he behaves as a wise man who is ultimately compelled to act by his daughter's impassioned speech.
• Laurencia: A strong, courageous, and resolute woman of great humanity, who sets aside the humility expected of women of her time. She is acutely aware of her social role and rebels against men because her honor has been deeply damaged.

Language, Style, and Genre

From a generic standpoint, Fuenteovejuna is a tragicomedy, bringing together disparate elements. The peasants are immersed in a tragic, transcendent conflict, awe-struck by the act of assuming the justice they deserve. This aligns with 17th-century values, where it was probable to imbue the villain with human dignity, yet still aware of their social role.

The Enduring Meaning of Fuenteovejuna

Fuenteovejuna holds a peculiar ultimate role: it depicts people rebelling against royal power, becoming, in a sense, delinquents. Ultimately, the monarchy functions as a Deus ex Machina, providing justice and forgiving the people with the argument that nobles must lead by example and never abuse their authority without justification.

For a time, this work was presented as a revolutionary and democratic element, even used as propaganda by left-wing political parties. However, upon closer consideration, Fuenteovejuna is not a text that is inherently democratic, despite addressing issues such as the popular right to rebellion against unjust power. Lope de Vega, it should not be forgotten, wrote within the context of the monarchy.