Beleaguered Hegemony and Triangular Desire in Lope de Vega's Las famosas asturianas and John Ford's Stagecoach

Abstract

Through a comparison of two historically distinct dramatic and cinematic texts, this essay explores the parallel representation of "national history" on the Spanish corral stage and the U.S. silver screen at (or near) the crest of each nation-state's respective imperial power. By tracing the triangular interplay between the archetypal Caballero and Cowboy, the stereotypical Treacherous Moor and Wild Indian, and the besieged Heroine (symbol of "feminine civilization" precariously poised on the hostile frontier), this essay argues that these "historical" works-and others like them-seek to justify the sudden (and perhaps unexpected) geopolitical hegemony of the Iberian cristianos viejos and the North American WASPs by portraying their "national heroes" as beleaguered victims who achieve greatness in fighting a defensive struggle for survival against a "militarily superior" enemy. (BRB)