La política, según Lope de Vega

Politics according to Lope de Vega

Abstract

This paper explores Lope de Vega's political ideas as expressed in his theatrical works. In this respect, it reviews the political interpretations of his plays and then analyzes the political reflections made in three of his plays, El príncipe perfecto (Parts I and II) and El Duque de Viseo. All three have a single leading character, King John II of Portugal. The first portrays a tyrant and the other two the perfect Christian prince. The last part of the paper analyzes how dramaturgy and theatrical reality determine the way in which politics and political thought appear in Lope de Vega's work.