Summary: | The naming of the gracioso in the four plays studied--- La vida es sueno, El magico prodigioso, El mayor encanto, amor, and Celos, aun del aire, matan--- is undoubtedly intentional, suggesting that Pedro Calderon de la Barca relied on onomastics as a form of characterization. This project traces the metamorphoses of four graciosos named Clarin as they seek to rise from the shadows to take center stage. The central question of this study concentrates on each Clarin's function in the dramatic text as aided by the onomastic symbolism embedded into his name. Ultimately, this study attempts to understand how Calderon takes advantage of the richness of symbolism contained within the name "Clarin" to infuse the gracioso into the very core of the comedia, making it impossible to fully understand the work without considering how this (routinely disregarded) character, and the onomastic symbolism he embodies, impacts the reading of the play.
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