The Libertine (play)

Author, Thomas Shadwell (1642-1692) published "The Libertine" in 1676. This play is a clear adaptation of the original plot of El burlador de Sevilla, written by Tirso de Molina that transgresses a story of a horrid womanizer that plays along with his life and others as he fulfills sins and "shapes shifts" into a devil like man. Like most of the adaptations, Thomas Shadwell also interpreted the story of a man who is mischievous and condemned to repay for these actions of sin.

Characters

The Play

Prologue

Before Act 1, it includes a preface and a prologue that today can appear as much confused as obscure. Their content addressed a knowledgeable public and it is necessary to understand that the preface was often used as a means to settle scores between authors. Thus Shadwell and Dryden regularly cudgelled each other throughout their work. Their regular altercations became famous and Shadwell was their greatest victim. Thus when he refers to the “ infamous, coarse and vulgar censorship of a maker of verse ”, he makes a direct allusion to his archenemy: John Dryden. ^[1]

Act I

The first Act of The Libertine starts with a philosophical discussion between Don John and two of his lewd friends, Don Lopez and Don Antonio. Jacomo, Don John's valet intervenes to reproach the trio with a list of their various misdeeds. Then enters Leonora seduced by Don John and who comes to ask Jacomo about his master's intentions. The valet destroys all her illusions concerning Don John, takes advantage of the situation to attempt her seduction and gives her an appointment in order to prove to her how well founded are his accusations of Don John. In the meantime, Don John and his friends are recounting their latest amorous adventures, each more lewd than the other and Don John declares that he must presently carry through an intrigue. To this end, he kills the fiancé of Maria, his intended lover and enters her apartments in his place. Unmasked by Maria and her servant, he must also kill Maria's brother before making his escape. ^[2]

Act II

At the beginning of Act II, Leonora comes to the rendezvous arranged by Jacomo who conceals her pending his master's arrival. Don John brags to his valet about his latest exploits, Leonora emerging in the middle of the conversation, outraged by what she has just heard. She implores Don John to honour the engagement that binds them, but he dismisses her without consideration. Then enter six women who all claim to be the legitimate wife of Don John. They argue about the promises of marriage that he has made, until the arrival of Don Lopez and Don Antonio. Don John then leaves them to his friends stating that he never seduces the same woman twice and one of them kills herself to escape this collective rape. Don John forces Jacomo to remove the corpse and orders him to bring back the first woman that he meets in the street in order for him to join his friends in their debauchery. Jacomo brings back a horrible old woman. In the meantime, Maria dressed as a man and accompanied by her maid, attacks Don John whom she intends to kill to avenge the murders committed. She fails and in the confrontation her maid meets her death. Don John and his friends decide to escape by sea and Jacomo, increasingly afraid at the turn of events, implores them in vain to leave him behind. The ghost of Don John's father then appears and warns Don John, who laughs at its threats.^[3]

Act III

In Act III, Don John, his valet and his two friends face a storm at sea. With their ship on fire, they escape in a boat having beaten off the sailors who tried to come aboard. The trio is stranded on the beach and a hermit comes to their aid. As a mark of their gratitude they ask him to provide them with a whore. Frightened, he tries in vain to convert them. Then they go to the home of Don Francisco, a gentleman living close by. Jacomo also rescued by the hermit takes the same direction, as well as Leonora and Maria (still dressed as a man) who have joined forces to find Don John. At Don Francisco's, his two daughters Clara and Flavia bemoan the fate that awaits them, as the following day they must marry two men chosen by their father. When Don John meets the two girls, he promises marriage to them both. Leonora and Maria also arrive. Leonora, who is still in love with Don John, tries one last time to convince him, but he poisons her as his final answer. In the mean time, Maria has fought with Don John's two acolytes. ^[4]

Act IV

In Act IV, Maria presents herself at Don Francisco's house to accuse Don John of Leonora's murder. To the confusion produced by this declaration is added the arrival of the two daughters Clara and Flavia who announce their imminent marriage to Don John. A fight starts between the lewd trio, the two future husbands, Don Francisco and Maria. The latter two are killed, the two fiancés are wounded and the two girls run away, deciding to retire to a convent to expiate their sins. Still accompanied by Jacomo the valet, Don John and his friends also escape and kidnap some shepherdesses after battling with the shepherds. On their way they find the statue of the Commander murdered by Don John. The latter forces his valet to invite it to dine. The statue accepts, attends the dinner as a ghost and returns the invitation to the foursome. ^[5]

Act V

In Act V, the three associates decide to set fire to a convent to force the nuns to leave the building and thus attempt their rape. In passing Don John tries to abduct Clara and Flavia who in the meantime had taken refuge in religious life. Several shepherds and guards attempt to intervene and are killed. They finally go to the Commander's tomb, where he awaits them with the assembled ghosts of all the people that they murdered. Confronted by the trio's refusal to repent, the Commander sends them all to Hell. Jacomo remains alone on stage to address the public.^[6]

History of The Libertine

Don John is a living legend in European literature. This character has been adapted in many ways and manipulated to fit the culture it is being presented in. It is said that Don John was based of a Spanish character by the name of Don Juan. This character is known to be a womanizer and of great wealth and practice, much like the presented protagonist in The Libertine (English version). However, in the Spanish and original version of this story, Don Juan is seen as the devil himself and a man who, no matter how vile he is or desires to be, has to "pay its own debts" based of his sins. This plot transpired to inspire many other writers, including Thomas Shadwell; where he included and adapted the character to his own satisfaction. A series of murders, acts of incest, adultery and acts against the Catholic Church are taken in place all for the purpose of making the readers fear hell or the punishment of God. From the first author to adapt this story to the very last, all plots based around this character all lead to some sort of insanity, death or some conundrum that explicitly demonstrates acts of defiance against God and its consequences.

Reaction

The play displays various sins that caused audiences to fear committing any sort of act against God. The sole purpose to displaying this play was to create a fear towards sin and act accordingly to the Church or, rather, religion. In consequence, many audiences, in the various adaptations around the country and years, were managed to be persuaded and localized their fear the sin and follow the path of God.

Modern Adaptation

Stephen Jeffreys, a playwright and author, also adapted The Libertine into a more modern display. Even if this play does not connect directly to the more previous interpretations of the infamous play, the idea of Don John is still present. The Libertine tells the story of the Earl of Rochester, friend and confidant of Charles II and the most notorious rake of his age. He was an anti-monarchist Royalist, an atheist who converted to Christianity and a lyric poet who revelled in pornography. The play centres on the moment his cynicism is confounded when he falls in love in earnest.

The Libertine was, also, adapted into a major motion film in 2004. Directed by Laurence Dunmore, the movie was based of Stephen Jeffreys play, The Libertine, where Johnny Depp stars as libertine poet in the Court of King Charles II of England. In addition, Samantha Morton plays Elizabeth Barry, a aspiring actress that gets much demand under Rochester's tutelage. Wilmot and Barry become lovers and the plots transforms as King Charles is torn between lovers and the danger posed by his displays of contempt for his sovereign.

It is clear that the adaptation of Don John was clearly changed into a rather 'calmer' persona, but the idea of interpreting a 'womanizer' and the idea of corruption and lack of guide is still presented in the motion picture and all adaptations.

References

^{[1] [2]}

1. ↑ (PDF) http://sederi.org/docs/yearbooks/01/1_15_ungerer.pdf.  Missing or empty |title= (help)
2. ↑ http://www.don-juan.net/english/angleterre/la17synopsiset.htm