The altarpiece of wonders

The altarpiece of wonders is part of the 8 hors d'oeuvres written by Miguel de Cervantes in 1615. The story is based on an Eastern tale of which several versions were written in the West: The Count of Lucanor, The Emperor's New Clothes, etc. In this work, the author explains to us how some rogues enter a town with the idea of ​​offering them an extraordinary performance.

In this lesson from a TEACHER, we want to offer you a summary of The altarpiece of wonders and introduce yourself to the characters of him.

The altarpiece of wonders It is an appetizer by Miguel de Cervantes, as we mentioned above, which tells us about deception. The entire plot centers around an altarpiece called "Altarpiece of Wonders" and that hides its magic in 2 main points.

The first point is that the altarpiece was built by a great wise man known as Tontonelo. Thanks to the help of the stars, this wise man ensured that the altarpiece had supernatural powers. At that time, it was very fashionable to believe in astrology and the power that the stars exerted over people.

Secondly, only second-class Christians could see what was actually shown on the altarpiece. generation (with Christian parents and grandparents) and who were also noble, that is, they were not children illegitimate. Only people who meet these requirements They would be able to capture the grandeur that was hidden in this wonderful altarpiece.

Those who did not meet the characteristics, on the contrary, would not see anything and it would become palpable that They did not belong to a good family.

The story of The altarpiece of wonders begins when the owners of this altarpiece appear in a town and go directly to talk to the Governor and the Mayor, to flatter them a little and get them into their game. What they sell is a show based on a wonderful altarpiece from which all kinds of creatures come out.

So, the rogues manage to show the altarpiece in the house of one of them, with the condition that they had to pay them in advance. In addition, they ordered that no person from the town could enter the ranch, alleging that, on the day Next, they wanted to show the work publicly and needed to gather as many spectators as possible. possible.

These guys' deception turns out to be a resounding success. All Christian nobles They begin to say what they don't really see, in order to show that they come from a good family: Samson, a bull, mice, lions and even bears. The only thing they want is not to be exposed and for others to call them bastards.

Everyone in the room falls into the trap, to the point that when a furrier (army officer) appears to request accommodation for his soldiers, everyone believes that he is another character that is part of the altarpiece and they do not take him seriously. This, without understanding the deception, does not recognize anything that comes out of the altarpiece and He is branded an unconverted Jew. Feeling insulted, he takes out his sword and begins to fight against all the attendees, taking revenge for their stupid social norms.

The main topic it deals with The altarpiece of wonders is the importance of fame in the world and concern about what others will say. In addition, to all this are added the positive or negative consequences that this fame for your name can bring you. The portrait presented by the rogues causes a awesome chaos at Juan Castrado's house and this will mean that the next day only people will talk about that event.

Discover here what are Cervantes hors d'oeuvres.

In this work, the characters play a very important role, since thanks to them the deception can be carried out successfully and the wealthiest class is completely exposed. We present to you some of the characters of The altarpiece of wondersthat allow the story to advance and the author to criticize the society of the moment:

• Chanfalla: He is one of the rogues. She is from the Montiel family. He organizes a show with the help of Chirinos and Rabelín and they go to the town of Algarrobillas to perform the comedy of the Altarpiece of Wonders, made by the wise Tontonelo.
• Chirinos: She is Chanfalla's wife and she accompanies her husband to Algarrobillas to perform the comedy of the Altarpiece of Wonders. She is very cunning and delicate, so she convinces all the nobles in the town.
• Rabelin: He is a musician who helps the couple in the show. He is very short and that makes him look bad. Everyone laughs at him because of the way he looks.
• The governor: He is an amateur poet and known as Mr. Gomecillos. He is the godfather of Teresa Castrada.
• Benedict Cabbage: He is the mayor of Algarrobillas. He is a man of the people, without much culture, but who pretends to be wise and knowledgeable.
• Juan Castrado: He is the owner of the house in which the comedy is performed.
• Pedro Capacho: He is a scribe, a cultured man who accompanies the mayor and interprets what others say, with words that are commensurate with him.
• Juana Castrada: She is a farmer, daughter of Juan Castrado and mother of Teresa Castrada.
• Teresa Cabbage: She is a cousin of Juana's farmer.
• A furrier: She was passing by to request asylum for her soldiers, but ends up involved in a battle for her honor.

The altarpiece of wondersIt is a work loaded with criticism that is contextualized in the 17th century, but that is still relevant today. If you want to continue learning more about the great works of Spanish literature, do not hesitate to consult our reading section.

Here we discover what the literature in the Renaissance and Golden Age.

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