“Saladei alcalde” Calderon in brief summary
In the village of Salameya enters the regiment of soldiers under the leadership of the captain. They are very exhausted by a long, exhausting transition and dream of rest. This time their happiness is smiling: instead of a short halt, they are expected for several days of quiet life – the regiment remains in Salameja until Don Lope de Figueroa approaches with its parts. The sergeant, the captain’s aide, who distributes the officers to his quarters, chose for the captain the house of Pedro Crespo, a well-to-do peasant, famous for the fact that his daughter Isavel was the first beauty in the district. Among her admirers is the poor nobleman Don Mendo, spending hours under the windows of the girl. However, he is so torn and pathetic that both the girl and her father treat him no more than with contempt: Isavel does not know how to bother the annoying boyfriend, and the father, outwardly respectful – as befits a simple man with a nobleman, – in fact escorts that mocking
When he learned that the captain had been assigned to the house, Pedro began hasty preparations, as if he were waiting for the dearest guest. Pedro is rich enough to buy a nobleman’s letter, and along with it all the privileges, including release from a stay, but he is a person who has a sense of dignity, and is proud to have received his good name at birth. Knowing what impression the beauty of his daughter Isavel brings to people, he sends her along with her sister to the upper chambers, separated from the main part of the house, and orders them to remain there until the soldiers leave the village. However, the captain already knows from the sergeant that Pedro Crespo has a beautiful daughter, and this circumstance makes him hurry to stay. Pedro
Don Lope is an illustrious general, close to King Philip II. He quickly pacifies everyone and remains himself at the house in Pedro Crespo’s house, offering the captain to find another room. For the short time that Don Lope holds at Pedro Armchair, they manage to make friends almost in spite of the social inequality that separates them. Don Lope fall in love with the quiet dignity of the old peasant, his wisdom and wisdom, his ideas about the honor of a common man.
In the meantime, the captain, touched for living by the inaccessibility of Isaveli, can in no way be reconciled to the idea that a peasant woman is also proud. Resourceful sergeant and then come up with an exit – at night to entice the girl and the music on the balcony with songs and music and, thus obtaining a date, get her own. But at the moment when the captain begins to play music under Isaev’s balcony, Nuno appears with her unfortunate admirer Don Mendo, ready to stand up for the honor of the lady of the heart. But it’s not their intervention that decides: Don Lope and Pedro Armchair, armed with swords and shields, drive everyone out from under the windows, including Don Mendo. Angry Don Lope orders the captain, along with his company, to leave the village.
The captain obeys only externally-in fact, he decides to return to Salamei secretly and, having arranged with Isabeli’s maid, talk with the girl. He is even more assertive in his determination to implement this plan when he learns that Don Lope leaves the village and heads towards the king. Indeed, Don Lope made this decision; Together with him he leaves as his servant and Juan Crespo. No matter how hard it is for a father to say goodbye to him, the old peasant understands that this is the surest way to bring a careless son into the people, to teach him to get bread for himself. At parting he gives his son instructions – a sample of worldly wisdom, honesty and dignity. After passing his son, Pedro Crespo sad and went out with his daughters to sit at the doorstep of the house. At this moment, the captain flies unexpectedly with his soldiers and Isavel is kidnapped right before his father’s eyes.
Grabbing a sword, Pedro Crespo rushes in pursuit of the abusers. He is ready to sacrifice his life to save his daughter, but the soldiers tie him to a tree, while the captain hides with his prey in the forest more often, from where his father’s voice comes – deeper and deeper – Isaveli’s screams. After a while, all in tears, the girl returns. She is beside himself with grief and shame: the captain grossly abused her and left her alone in the forest. Through the trees, Isabel saw her brother Juan, who, sensing the evil, was returning home from the middle of the road. A battle ensued between Juan Crespo and the captain, during which Isabeli’s brother seriously injured her abuser, but when she saw how many soldiers surrounded him, he rushed to the forest thicket. Shame prevented Isabeli from hailing Juan. All this the girl tells the father, releasing him from the bonds. I burn Pedro Crespo and his daughter, there is no limit,
On the way, he meets one of his fellow villagers, who says that the local council has just picked him, Pedro Crespo, the mayor of Salamei, at his meeting. Pedro rejoices at this news – primarily because a high position will help him to make a right trial. The wound received by the captain turns out to be quite serious, and he, unable to continue the way, returns to Salamei, to a house where he was standing only for a while. There Pedro Crespo with the staff of the Alcalde orders and orders the arrest of the captain, despite his indignation and angry protests, that he is judged only by his equal position. But before ordering the arrest, Pedro, left alone with the captain, forgetting about his pride, begs him to marry Isabeli – in response he hears only contemptuous ridicule.
Unexpectedly, Don Lope returns: he received a report that some recalcitrant alcald dared arrest the captain. Learning that this rebel – Pedro Armchair, Don Aope orders him to immediately release the prisoner, but encounters the stubborn refusal of the old peasant to do so. At the height of their turbulent explanation, the king enters the village, extremely dissatisfied with the fact that he was not given proper reception. After listening to Don Aope’s story about what happened and the excuse of Pedro Crespo, the king expresses his opinion: the captain is unconditionally guilty, but another, not peasant, court must try it. Since Pedro Crespo does not believe in royal justice, he hurried to deal with the offender – the door opened to the eyes of the king and all present present a dead captain. Pedro Crespo justifies his action with the just expressed opinion of the king about the guilt of the captain, and that does not remain, how to recognize the execution as legitimate. Philip II also appoints Pedro Crespo as the irreplaceable mayor of Salamei, and Don Lope, having ordered the release from custody of Juan Crespo, takes him with him as a servant. Isavel will end his days in the monastery.
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