Mujer, alegoría e imperio en el drama de Miguel de Cervantes El cerco de Numancia

Abstract

This paper examines the vision of empire offered by Cervantes in his tragedy El cerco de Numancia. It explores the interaction between the two worlds present in the drama: the “real” world of the Numantians and the Romans, and the “symbolic” world of allegorical characters. On the one hand, we can observe certain parallels between the Romans and the Numantian men, which are reinforced by the use of the “theater within theater” motif. On the other hand, the association between Numantian women and the Spanish soil shatters these parallels and presents a possible alternative to militant imperialism. By focusing on the opposition action / inaction, which underlies the tragedy, together with the function of female characters, this analysis intends to outline the national ideal transmitted by Cervantes’ work.