135:
29:
364:
When
Bariato, the last youth left alive, commits suicide by throwing himself from a tower, the Roman general realizes that he cannot go home with slaves and spoil, and that the small city of Numantia has triumphed over the power of the Romans. His lament signals for some critics the final catastrophe
344:
is invoked, Marandro assures his friend
Leoncio that true love (as opposed to Roman lust) does not impede his duties as citizen and soldier. A solemn sacrifice is prepared; but amidst the ceremony an evil spirit appears, seizes the sacrificial ram, and extinguishes the fire. The confusion in the town
360:
The tragic denouement ensues in Act Four. Here, Marandro returns with some bread smeared with blood in order to feed Lira, but he falls at her feet mortally wounded, foregrounding the theme of sacrifice. Scenes of destruction and mass suicide ensue, as men kill their women and then turn the sword on
365:
and his role as tragic hero. His hubris and desire for domination rather than negotiation has brought him to his knees. The allegorical figure of Fame enters at the end of the piece, and announces the future glory of Spain, a great power that will rise out of the ashes of
Numantia like the phoenix.
352:
In the third act, all hope for a successful resolution of the dispute between Romans and
Numantians has now vanished. While the men would go out and fight the Romans in the field rather than die of hunger in the siege, the women of the play prevent them from doing this. It is they who recommend a
356:
The city resolves to burn all their valuable property, to put their wives and children to death, and to throw themselves into the flames, lest any of the inhabitants of the town should become the slaves of the Romans. Scenes of domestic misery and of patriotism ensue. Famine rages in
Numantia.
339:
In Act Two, the scene is now transferred to
Numantia. The senate is assembled to deliberate on the affairs of the city. The senate adopts bold resolutions. The story moves into light redondillas - the loves of a young Numantian, named Marandro for Lira. Although
267:. It remained unpublished until the eighteenth-century. Since then, it has been hailed by many as a “rare specimen of Spanish tragedy” and even as the best Spanish tragedy not only from the period before Lope de Vega, but of all its literature.
335:
and discover that
Numantia cannot be saved. The lengthy speech dealing with Spanish history has been taken as a moment of praise for the future Spanish empire, and as containing elements that question imperial expansionism.
316:. He explains that this war has been going on for many years and that the Roman Senate has sent him to finish the task. He reprimands his troops, whose martial spirit has begun to be superseded by the pleasures of
353:
mass suicide, for, in this manner, they will not become enslaved to the Romans. It is the women, then, who impel
Theagenes to carry out this fatal action, thus playing a key role in the tragic denouement.
331:, on whose banks Numantia stands. The old river god appears, attended by a retinue of the deities of the smaller rivers of the surrounding country. These allegorical characters consult fate, in the guise of
324:. The soldiers are re-inspired with courage. Numantian ambassadors enter with proposals for peace, which are rejected. The Greek Chorus, in Cervantes' work is replaced by allegorical figures.
635:
641:
658:
741:
713:
670:
280:, while others reject that the play is a conventional tragedy. Some envision the play as containing epic elements or even exhibiting opposing epics:
595:
345:
increases. A dead man is resuscitated by magic in a dramatic scene reminiscent of the necromantic revivification by the witch
Erichto in the
361:
themselves or duel with each other. The allegorical figures of War, Sickness and Hunger take over the stage in an apocalyptic ambiance.
93:
829:
65:
46:
824:
771:
72:
839:
381:
Raymond MacCurdy, “The
Numantia Plays of Cervantes and Rojas Zorrilla: The Shift from Collective to Personal Tragedy,”
79:
588:
112:
61:
646:
50:
581:
834:
798:
663:
793:
748:
718:
86:
39:
706:
699:
727:
653:
407:
819:
8:
604:
263:
1582 and was apparently very successful in the years before the advent of the playwright
225:
734:
685:
675:
559:
Brian N. Stiegler, "The Coming of the New Jerusalem: Apocalyptic Vision in Cervantes'
788:
764:
341:
317:
309:
233:
229:
17:
134:
213:
357:
Marandro, accompanied by his friend, Leoncio, ventures to enter the Roman camp.
256:
529:
Veronica Ryjik, "Mujer, Alegoria e imperio en el drama de Miguel de Cervantes
512:
Veronica Ryjic, "Mujer, Alegoria e imperio en el drama de Miguel de Cervantes
813:
300:, while Barbara Simerka argues for generic instability and the counter-epic
169:: Spain, the Duero River and three tributaries, War, Pestilence, Hunger, Fame
692:
276:
264:
757:
628:
573:
346:
296:
271:
28:
463:
Discourses of Empire. Counter-Epic Literature in Early Modern Spain
313:
270:
Some critics have seen resemblances between Cervantes' tragedy and
244:
332:
321:
221:
286:
281:
248:
465:
University Park, Penn State University Press, 2003, pp. 87-95.
328:
291:
164:
Theogenes, Caravino, Marquino, Marandro, Leonicio, Lira
542:
William M. Whitby, "The Sacrifice Theme in Cervantes'
414:
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998, pp. 77-96
185:
the fall of the Spanish city of Numantia to the Romans
478:Barcelona: Ariel, 1976; Francisco Vivar, "El ideal
312:appears with his generals in the Roman camp before
53:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
811:
440:Emilie Bergmann, “The Epic Vision of Cervantes
159:Scipio, Jugurtha, Caius Marius, Quintus Fabius
589:
596:
582:
133:
327:Spain appears, and she summons the river
113:Learn how and when to remove this message
603:
396:La tragedia en el Renacimiento español.
812:
772:Los trabajos de Persiles y Sigismunda
577:
239:The play is divided into four acts, (
501:Cervantes, Raphael and the Classics.
412:Cervantes, Raphael and the Classics.
51:adding citations to reliable sources
22:
450:Cervantes, Raphael and the Classics
13:
448:36 (1982); Frederick A. De Armas,
14:
851:
427:as Tragedy and as Tragicomedy,"
27:
830:Plays set in the 2nd century BC
636:Ocho comedias y ocho entremeses
553:
536:
523:
38:needs additional citations for
506:
493:
468:
455:
434:
423:Paul Lewis-Smith, "Cervantes'
417:
401:
388:
375:
1:
476:Nuevos deslindes cervantinos.
368:
825:Plays by Miguel de Cervantes
642:El retablo de las maravillas
429:Bulletin of Hispanic Studies
7:
799:Action of 26 September 1575
474:Juan Bautista Avalle-Arce,
255:, but for the most part in
10:
856:
15:
840:Plays set in ancient Rome
794:Miguel de Cervantes Prize
781:
749:El coloquio de los perros
611:
197:
189:
181:
173:
152:
144:
132:
127:
659:El juez de los divorcios
398:Barcelona: Planeta, 1973
259:. The work was composed
232:, captured and razed by
499:Frederick A. de Armas,
303:
62:"The Siege of Numantia"
742:La fuerza de la sangre
707:El licenciado Vidriera
700:Rinconete y Cortadillo
567:, 80.4 (1996): 569-81.
550:, 45.2 (1962): 205-10.
217:
654:La cueva de Salamanca
622:The Siege of Numantia
408:Frederick A. de Armas
394:Alfredo Hermenegildo,
209:The Siege of Numantia
139:The Siege of Numantia
128:The Siege of Numantia
531:El cerco de Numancia
514:El cerco de Numancia
218:El cerco de Numancia
47:improve this article
16:For the battle, see
728:El celoso extremeño
714:La española inglesa
605:Miguel de Cervantes
226:Miguel de Cervantes
148:Miguel de Cervantes
835:Plays set in Spain
735:La ilustre fregona
518:Anales cervantinos
385:14 (1960): 100-120
308:In the first act,
243:, or "days"). The
193:historical tragedy
807:
806:
789:Casa de Cervantes
765:Viaje del Parnaso
614:(chronologically)
520:38 (2006):203-19.
461:Barbara Simerka,
431:64 (1987): 15-26.
251:and sometimes in
234:Scipio Aemilianus
230:siege of Numantia
205:
204:
201:Numantia, 133 BCE
174:Original language
123:
122:
115:
97:
18:Siege of Numantia
847:
722:
686:Exemplary Novels
679:
667:
650:
598:
591:
584:
575:
574:
568:
557:
551:
540:
534:
527:
521:
510:
504:
497:
491:
490:20.2 (2000):7-30
472:
466:
459:
453:
438:
432:
421:
415:
405:
399:
392:
386:
379:
247:is sometimes in
137:
125:
124:
118:
111:
107:
104:
98:
96:
55:
31:
23:
855:
854:
850:
849:
848:
846:
845:
844:
810:
809:
808:
803:
777:
716:
673:
671:El viejo celoso
661:
644:
613:
607:
602:
572:
571:
558:
554:
541:
537:
528:
524:
511:
507:
498:
494:
486:de Cervantes,"
480:pro patria mori
473:
469:
460:
456:
446:Theater Journal
439:
435:
422:
418:
406:
402:
393:
389:
380:
376:
371:
306:
165:
160:
140:
119:
108:
102:
99:
56:
54:
44:
32:
21:
12:
11:
5:
853:
843:
842:
837:
832:
827:
822:
805:
804:
802:
801:
796:
791:
785:
783:
779:
778:
776:
775:
768:
761:
754:
753:
752:
745:
738:
731:
724:
710:
703:
696:
682:
681:
680:
668:
656:
651:
632:
625:
617:
615:
609:
608:
601:
600:
593:
586:
578:
570:
569:
552:
535:
522:
505:
492:
467:
454:
433:
416:
400:
387:
373:
372:
370:
367:
305:
302:
203:
202:
199:
195:
194:
191:
187:
186:
183:
179:
178:
175:
171:
170:
154:
150:
149:
146:
142:
141:
138:
130:
129:
121:
120:
35:
33:
26:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
852:
841:
838:
836:
833:
831:
828:
826:
823:
821:
818:
817:
815:
800:
797:
795:
792:
790:
787:
786:
784:
780:
774:
773:
769:
767:
766:
762:
760:
759:
755:
750:
746:
743:
739:
736:
732:
729:
725:
720:
715:
711:
708:
704:
701:
697:
694:
690:
689:
688:
687:
683:
677:
672:
669:
665:
660:
657:
655:
652:
648:
643:
640:
639:
638:
637:
633:
631:
630:
626:
624:
623:
619:
618:
616:
610:
606:
599:
594:
592:
587:
585:
580:
579:
576:
566:
565:Neophilologus
562:
556:
549:
545:
539:
532:
526:
519:
515:
509:
502:
496:
489:
485:
481:
477:
471:
464:
458:
452:, pp. 116-53.
451:
447:
443:
437:
430:
426:
420:
413:
409:
404:
397:
391:
384:
378:
374:
366:
362:
358:
354:
350:
348:
343:
337:
334:
330:
325:
323:
319:
315:
311:
301:
299:
298:
293:
289:
288:
283:
279:
278:
273:
268:
266:
262:
258:
254:
250:
246:
242:
237:
235:
231:
227:
223:
219:
215:
211:
210:
200:
196:
192:
188:
184:
180:
176:
172:
168:
163:
158:
155:
151:
147:
143:
136:
131:
126:
117:
114:
106:
103:December 2009
95:
92:
88:
85:
81:
78:
74:
71:
67:
64: –
63:
59:
58:Find sources:
52:
48:
42:
41:
36:This article
34:
30:
25:
24:
19:
770:
763:
756:
693:La gitanilla
684:
634:
627:
621:
620:
564:
560:
555:
547:
543:
538:
533:, pp 212-15.
530:
525:
517:
513:
508:
500:
495:
487:
483:
479:
475:
470:
462:
457:
449:
445:
441:
436:
428:
424:
419:
411:
403:
395:
390:
382:
377:
363:
359:
355:
351:
338:
326:
307:
295:
285:
277:The Persians
275:
269:
265:Lope de Vega
260:
252:
240:
238:
236:in 133 BC.
208:
207:
206:
166:
161:
156:
109:
100:
90:
83:
76:
69:
57:
45:Please help
40:verification
37:
820:1580s plays
758:Don Quixote
717: [
674: [
662: [
645: [
561:La Numancia
503:pp. 116-35.
484:La Numancia
253:redondillas
228:set at the
162:Numantines:
814:Categories
629:La Galatea
369:References
167:Allegories
153:Characters
145:Written by
73:newspapers
488:Cervantes
383:Symposium
347:Pharsalia
297:Pharsalia
272:Aeschylus
548:Hispania
544:Numancia
442:Numancia
425:Numancia
314:Numantia
245:dialogue
241:jornadas
782:Related
333:Proteus
322:Bacchus
257:octaves
249:tercets
222:tragedy
220:) is a
214:Spanish
198:Setting
182:Subject
177:Spanish
157:Romans:
87:scholar
310:Scipio
287:Aeneid
282:Virgil
89:
82:
75:
68:
60:
721:]
678:]
666:]
649:]
612:Works
342:Venus
329:Duero
318:Venus
292:Lucan
261:circa
190:Genre
94:JSTOR
80:books
320:and
304:Plot
290:and
66:news
563:,"
546:,"
482:en
444:,”
294:'s
284:'s
274:'s
224:by
49:by
816::
719:es
676:es
664:es
647:es
516:"
410:,
349:.
216::
751:"
747:"
744:"
740:"
737:"
733:"
730:"
726:"
723:"
712:"
709:"
705:"
702:"
698:"
695:"
691:"
597:e
590:t
583:v
212:(
116:)
110:(
105:)
101:(
91:·
84:·
77:·
70:·
43:.
20:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.