"The Peasant Woman from Getafe" by Lope de Vega, summary Automatic translate

This play by a Spanish playwright explores class prejudices, genuine emotions, and the power of feminine ingenuity. Written in 1609, it is a striking example of the classic comedy of intrigue.

Separation and new meetings

Don Felix is forced to leave Madrid hastily. He goes to Seville on business. The lord leaves behind his beloved Doña Anna. The farewell scene is filled with tears and fervent vows. Doña Anna is anxious, suspecting possible infidelity. Doña Anna instructs her servant Lope to keep a close eye on her fiancé. Lope promises to protect his master from the charms of Seville’s beauties. Don Pedro remains in Madrid. This persistent rival of Don Felix is eager to marry Doña Anna.

In the village of Getafe, a young peasant girl, Inés, shares her grief with her friend, Pascuala. The girl is sad. She has abandoned her work and is avoiding local suitors. Inés confesses her feelings. During a trip to Madrid, she met a richly dressed gentleman. The dandy wore enormous cuffs, smelled of perfume, and kissed her boldly. This nobleman was Don Felix. Returning home, Inés lost her peace.

The peasant Hernando is passionately in love with Inés. He dresses lavishly and tries in every way to attract her attention. She abruptly rejects him. Their paths cross at an inn in Getafe. Due to Lope’s carelessness, Don Felix’s horse loses a shoe. While the blacksmith is busy, Don Felix notices two peasant women. He recognizes Inés. The girl is embarrassed, but eager to engage in conversation.

A mail coach brings visiting students and noble ladies. Inés performs a peasant dance and song for them. Don Felix is struck by her grace. Lope reports the horse’s readiness. Don Felix orders lodging prepared for the night. He is captivated by the peasant woman. The gentleman decides to stay in the village. Inés promises him a nighttime rendezvous at the old wall behind her house.

That night, Don Felix arrives at the appointed place. The arrival of local residents, Hernando and Bartolomé, threatens to disrupt the meeting. Lope saves the situation with a cunning ruse. A servant informs the peasants that a purse is missing. He asks the peasants to help him find it. While the peasants wander in the darkness, Don Felix converses with Inés. He promises to marry her. Inés doubts the nobleman’s sincerity. Dawn forces the lovers to part. Meanwhile, Don Pedro learns of his rival’s departure. He rushes to Madrid to see Doña Anna.

Intrigues in Madrid

Sixteen months pass. Inés suffers from the long separation. Don Felix spent only eight days in Getafe and then left. A passerby brings Inés some heartbreaking news. It turns out Don Felix is returning from Seville to Madrid. He’s going to marry the wealthy Doña Anna. Inés makes the desperate decision to go to the capital. The devoted Hernando follows her.

In Madrid, Lope tells Doña Anna tall tales about the righteous life of his master in Seville. Soon, Inés arrives in the courtyard, weeping bitterly. Inés disguises herself as a simple-minded village girl, Gila from Sayago. She convinces everyone that she has lost her beloved donkey. Doña Anna takes pity on her and takes Gila into her service. Don Felix returns to Madrid. Hernando hires himself out as his coachman.

Doña Anna sends Inés to Don Feliz with a gift. She gives him shirts embroidered with her own hands. Seeing his former lover as a servant, the nobleman is astonished. Inés skillfully impersonates the simpleton Gila. She tells a fictitious story about a nobleman who betrayed her. Don Feliz gives Doña Anna a luxurious carriage, driven by Hernando.

Inés decides to take decisive action. She secretly passes Doña Anna a forged letter. The anonymous author claims the groom is of Moorish descent. The letter states that Don Felix’s grandfather was named Zulema and sold gingerbread. Lope’s grandfather was supposedly named Arambel Muley. The authorities are preparing a decree exiling the Moriscos. Don Urbano is horrified by what he reads. Inés generously adds fuel to the fire, confirming these absurd rumors.

When Don Felix arrives to see his bride, he is met with icy disdain. Don Urbano and Doña Anna refuse the marriage. The servant Ramírez hurls insults at Don Felix through the closed door. Inés mocks her former lover from the window. The insulted Don Felix confronts Don Pedro. Believing him to be the author of the vile slander, he draws his sword. A heated argument ensues. The adversaries are ready to engage in a bloody duel.

Deceptions and revelations

Thanks to Inés’s efforts, the engagement is broken. However, Don Felix quickly finds a new bride. He proposes to Doña Elena, the daughter of the wealthy Señor Fulgencio. Inés devises a bold new plan. She asks Doña Anna for a thousand escudos. The peasant woman disguises herself in a magnificent man’s suit. She pretends to be Don Juan. He is Elena’s cousin, recently arrived from India. Don Juan was previously believed to have died in a pirate attack.

Inés brilliantly feigns the daring navigator. She vividly describes the boarding, the gunshots, and the ship’s miraculous rescue. Don Juan’s arrival ruins Don Felix’s plans. Don Fulgencio calls off the wedding. He had previously promised to give his daughter to his nephew. Elena instantly forgets Don Felix. She falls in love with her gallant cousin. Hernando recognizes Inés in men’s clothing. The girl angrily interrupts the coachman: "Get away! Or I’ll kill you!"

Don Feliz is left with nothing. He wanders near Doña Anna’s house. Hidalgo hopes to beg forgiveness. Lope tells him strange news. A servant saw the peasant girl Gila in the carriage next to Elena. Don Feliz encounters Inés. The girl throws off her servant’s mask and openly declares: "Inés, I am Inés, not Gila!" She laughs at the deceived gentleman.

During the conversation, Inés plays her trump card. She claims Don Juan’s generous gift. Her cousin allegedly brought her a colossal dowry from Lima — forty thousand gold ducats from his wealthy uncles. Greed and wounded pride prevail. Don Felix believes this cunning ploy. He decides to marry Inés. Hidalgo believes the wealth will more than compensate for the bride’s peasant origins. He instructs Lope to bring Inés immediately in a carriage.

The time for the final denouement arrives. All the participants in the events gather at Don Fulgencio’s house. Doña Anna announces her engagement to Don Pedro. Don Urbano blesses this union. The rivals are reconciled. Don Felix solemnly presents Inés as his lawful wife. He expects to receive the promised forty thousand ducats. Unexpectedly, a servant brings a letter and belongings from Seville. Among the luggage are a parrot and a monkey. The letter was written by the real Don Juan.

The message speaks of the real cousin’s delay. He has not yet arrived in Madrid. Doña Anna reveals the truth to those gathered. She declares: "It was not she who deceived you, but Inés, disguised as Don Juan." The rumors of his Moorish origins also turned out to be a clever peasant woman’s invention. Don Felix realizes the depth of his failure. He has been cruelly deceived, deprived of his dowry, and rejected by noble brides.

Inés offers her husband the solace of her love and virtue. Don Felix recognizes the hopelessness of the situation and praises the girl’s incredible intelligence. Hidalgo resigns himself to his fate and publicly accepts Inés as his wife. The coachman, Hernando, receives his maid, Julia, as his wife. The faithful Lope asks for a reward for ten years of service and hopes for a quick wedding. Inés proclaims a happy ending to the story.