54 
Indiana University Studies 
Ricardo and Federico are not at all like Bearne and Fox. 
They have not been working with Teodoro, as Bearne and Fox 
do with Carlos, and they go so far as to make arrangements to 
have him murdered. 
Marcela plays much more of a part than Cintia, in El des- 
den con el desden. She is ready, in the end, however, to 
marry Fabio, altho we know that she loves Teodoro, just as 
Cintia is obliging to Diana in marrying Bearne. Marcela 
plays the part of a servant whereas Cintia is one of Diana’s 
ladies-in-waiting. 
Tristan has more in common with Polilla than any other 
character has with its counterpart in Moreto’s play. He al- 
ways sees the situation at a glance, offers a solution, and in 
the end is the one who brings about Teodoro’s marriage with 
Diana. However, with these general tendencies, the resem- 
blance ceases. His methods are purely deception, abrupt 
means to attain an end with nothing of the play on a knowl- 
edge of human nature, nor a subtle psychological development 
such as Polilla uses jointly with Carlos. 
Polilla says, in the third scene of the third act, when Diana, 
resentful at being ignored in the festivities, says it is time 
to stop them: 
Eso ya es rigor tirano; 
Deja, senora, querer, 
si no quieres; que esto es ser 
el perro del hortelano. 
It is Teodoro and not Tristan who accuses Diana of playing 
the part of the “dog in the manger”. 
El perro del hortelano has so little in common with El des- 
den con el desden that it is impossible to agree with M. 
Puibusque even to the extent of saying that the two plays 
offer “des combats analogues”, which is his assertion. The 
struggle in the first play is such as is indicated by the title, 
the idea of the “dog in the manger”, and takes place between 
Diana’s love for a man beneath her socially and her own van- 
ity. Her love is increased by her jealousy when she sees 
Marcela enjoying Teodoro’s love just after she herself has 
repulsed him. The struggle in El desden con el desden is not 
in Diana’s heart, but between her and Carlos. 
