84 
Indiana University Studies 
Fadrique reminds us of Carlos only once, and that near the 
end of the play when he thinks Serafina has gone too far 
and says : 
Mai, senora, me quereis ; 
Costosa experiencia haceis, 
Pues asi me aventurais. 
Tomad el favor que dais; 
Llamarle favor no es bien, 
Desden si, y rigor tambien. (Act III, scene 11.) 
This is the only instance of his employing anything like dis- 
dain toward Serafina. All the way thru, he does all he can 
to win her, with no trace of overcoming her, “keeping him 
guessing”, by “going her one better at the same game”. They 
both win the one they love, but the methods are entirely dif- 
ferent, just as the attitudes of the loved ones are different. 
Urbino, Ferrara, and Parma, as rival suitors, are not of the 
same type as Bearne and Fox in El desden con el desden. They 
agree to be friendly rivals among themselves, but they exclude 
Fadrique, whereas in Moreto, Carlos is included in their agree- 
ment. Nor are their principles from the start like Bearne’s 
and Fox’s. The same may be said of Porcia, who plays some- 
what the same role as Cintia. Serafina is made to feel jealous 
of her — just as Diana is of Cintia — and partly because of this 
jealousy is forced out of her disdain into admitting her love. 
The one incident common to both plays is the fact that in 
both, contests of various sorts are carried out over a period of 
days, in order to woo the lady in question. They are not the 
same sort of games, but the idea is identical in both plays. 
To agree, then, with Schaeffer, the similarity between El 
desden con el desden and Golan, valiente y discrete, lies in the 
character of Flores, who makes it possible for his master to 
win the duchess because he can furnish him with inside infor- 
mation which the other suitors lack, just as Polilla can keep 
Carlos informed not only of facts, but of the state of mind 
thru which Diana is passing. However, to repeat, it is sim- 
ply a matter of facts in Mira de Amescua’s play, while in 
Moreto’s there is a psychological situation which needs care- 
ful handling, making the part of Polilla much more important 
and difficult than that Flores plays. 
