Analysis of fatalism in El Caballero de Olmedo

In the lesson of a TEACHER that begins we are going to do a analysis of fatalism in The Knight of Olmedo. This is one of the most famous works of the famous Spanish writer Lope de Vega, who at the beginning of the 16th century developed practically all of his work. In the case that concerns us in this lesson, we are going to see one of the issues that the author deals with in depth, and that is the aforementioned fatalism.

So, to make everything clearer, we will know exactly what this term consists of and what is the argument of the work of The Knight of Olmedo, so that it is much easier for us to analyze in detail the already named term or current that has always been very present throughout history, since it is strongly related to destiny. We started!

Index

1. What is fatalism
2. Summary of The Knight of Olmedo
3. The presence of fatalism in El Caballero de Olmedo

As we have already commented, in order to make a complete analysis of fatalism in

We can add that fatalism considers that events move the human being almost as if it were rocked by the wind or by the invisible hand of a superior character who handles us like puppets. In this sense, they believe in a superior god, a supernatural force, natural laws, the environment itself, etc.

We can see that this current of thought was already very common in the classic culture, mainly in ancient Greece. A belief that our destiny is already predetermined before we are even born.

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Now that we know the movement, to complete the analysis of fatalism in The Knight of Olmedo we have to briefly know his argument, so that we put ourselves fully in a position for analysis.

In this case the work counts the story of Don Alonso, knight on a trip to Olmedo who falls madly in love with a lady named Agnes, so that through his servant Tello hires Fabia, a pimp who will have to make the woman fall in love with him through her unclear methods.

Fabia's plan works and Doña Inés falls at the feet of Don Alonso, to the annoyance of Don Rodrigo, another gentleman who pretends to the young lady. That is why she, who has already been given in marriage to the latter, pretends to want to be a nun to avoid marriage, to which her father accepts.

Finally, during some celebrations in honor of King Juan II, Don Rodrigo, in full rapture due to Don Alonso's jealousy, decides to assassinate him with another man who is a suitor of Doña Inés's sister. So finally Don Alonso dies at the hands of Don Rodrigo, but Tello, the servant of the first, tells the truth, and the murderer is finally condemned to behead by order of the king.

In this other lesson you will discover a full summary of El Caballero de Olmedo. And in this other you can access a detailed summary of the main and minor characters of El Caballero de Olmedo.

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This work was written by Lope de Vega at the beginning of the 16th century, in full growth of the Renaissance. It can be seen that this movement was a reintroduction of the classical, so the artists felt a true devotion to Greek and Roman art. It is not strange that in this work the fatos, that is to say, destiny, have so much presence.

In times of ancient Greece, tragedy was one of the favorite genres in the theater. In the 16th century in the Iberian Peninsula and in Europe a similar movement was observed in the works of Lope de Vega and other authors.

On The Knight of Olmedo, you can see at all times that events sway the protagonists like the leaf that moves in the wind. The characters are incapable of acting other than by the environment itself. Don Alonso, victim of his passionate outburst and having a procurer for his purposes, despite the warnings of his servant that This method is not good and will not end well, it meets a tragic end, dragging Doña Inés and her servant into disgrace, Tello.

Don Rodrigo is also prey to his anger, his bad arts, his envy and his jealousy. Driven by his lowest instincts, it is fate that speaks for him, ending up beheaded for committing a murder dragged by the feeling of revenge from him.

All characters are at the mercy of the environment, and his acts seem written in tragic fate by a higher being that the reader can imagine as the work progresses during the three parts into which it is divided.

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