Lope and the Moriscos

Abstract

While there are certain pitfalls in studying Golden-Age dramas for purposes of analyzing sociological themes, some social attitudes seem to show through the literary text. In his dramas, Lope dramatizes Spanish history from the viewpoint of the cristiano viejo . For Lope and his public, the Morisco was basically not dramatizable, but the Morisco theme is dealt with in a few plays. In Lope's plays, the noble Moor often emerges as a hero, but the lowly Morisco remains a social problem. Because of religion, Lope defends the expulsion of the Moriscos, while maintaining a sympathetic view of some Moriscos from the human point of view.