Monstrous Assault and the Virtuous Lady's Hand in Leonor de la Cueva's La firmeza en la ausencia

Abstract:This early modern Spanish comedia deals with the moral assault on the virtue of Armesinda, a lady of the court of Naples, by Filiberto, the King of Naples. Leonor de la Cueva makes clear the nature of this assault referencing the mythological struggle that took place between the giant creature Typhon and Zeus. Early interpreters of myth, such as Apollodorus, describe Typon as "a hybrid between man and beast." This type of hybridization is an essential motif in other Spanish comedias, particularly in the works of Calderón, whose hombre-fiera characters represent man controlled by his passions rather than reason. These characters are easily identifiable, since Calderón often places them on stage dressed in animal skins. Although Filiberto wears no animal skins, he can still be classified as an hombre-fiera character, since Leonor de la Cueva has labeled him as such through mythological allusion. Filiberto's passion and desire make him a monstrous creature capable of murder and rape. With regard to monstrous assault, there is a pivotal scene in which the king approaches Armesinda as she sleeps announcing that he will touch her hand. The use of the dama dormida topos by Leonor de la Cueva serves as another part of her representation of the king as monstrous. Often this topos is employed when a threatening character observes or approaches a beautiful woman. This article contextualizes the representations of monstrosity in Leonor de la Cueva's play.