PEDRO DE LA BARCA CALDERON
\pˈɛdɹə͡ʊ də lˌa bˈɑːkə kˈɒldəɹən], \pˈɛdɹəʊ də lˌa bˈɑːkə kˈɒldəɹən], \p_ˈɛ_d_ɹ_əʊ d_ə l_ˌa b_ˈɑː_k_ə k_ˈɒ_l_d_ə_ɹ_ə_n]\
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A great Spanish dramatist; born at Madrid, Jan. 17, 1600; died May 25, 1681. Of "Sacramental Acts"- out-door plays for Corpus Christi day-he wrote 72 on themes Scriptural, classical, or moral: of these, "The Divine Orpheus" is reputed the best. Of religious dramas he wrote 16, among them "The Wonder-Working Magician", the action of which centres on a human soul's surrender to Satan; it was translated by Shelley and beautifully paraphrased by Fitzgerald. Another drama of this series is "The Schism of England". Of his dramas of secular history may be cited the powerful domestic tragedy, "The Alcalde of Zalamea". His dramas include: "No Magic Like Love", founded on the myth of Circe, and "Echo and Narcissus"; while his best known comedies of intrigue, or "of the cloak and sword", are: "The Fairy Lady" and "Tis III Keeping a House with Two Doors".
By Charles Dudley Warner