The character of the noble lady in El Álcazar de Sevilla by the Duke of Rivas

Abstract

The romance became established as the preferred genre of Spanish Romantics, who saw in the Castilian romancero collection an invaluable collection of events and customs that shaped the national character. Medieval Castilian history, which had left its mark in chronicles and a rich collection of romances, provided countless characters and plots that developed in different genres, including the romance. A singular cultivator of this genre was the Duke of Rivas, who successfully united history and sentiment, bringing the nation's past to life for the contemporary reader and its connection to the catalog of Romantic motifs and concerns. The presence of medieval Castilian noblewomen in the Duke of Rivas's El alcázar de Sevilla offers an example of literary elaboration based on the chronicle of Peter I by López de Ayala.