author
Agustín Moreto
1618–1669
A major voice of Spain’s Golden Age theater, he wrote polished comedies that delighted 17th-century audiences and still stand out for their wit and sharp sense of character. Best known today for plays like El desdén con el desdén and El lindo don Diego, he helped shape the later flowering of Spanish Baroque drama.
1 Audiobook
El lindo don Diego : Comedia
by Agustín Moreto
About the author
Born in Madrid and baptized on April 9, 1618, Agustín Moreto y Cavana became one of the most successful playwrights of Spain’s Siglo de Oro. He studied at the University of Alcalá and built his reputation in the lively theatrical world of 17th-century Madrid, where his plays were admired for their elegance, stagecraft, and lively comic touch.
Moreto is often linked with the dramatic school of Calderón, and his work is especially remembered for refined comedies of manners and character. Among his best-known plays are El desdén con el desdén and El lindo don Diego, works that helped secure his place in Spanish literary history.
Later in life he moved to Toledo, took holy orders, and served as a chaplain. He died there on October 28, 1669. Although critics have sometimes noted that he reworked themes from earlier dramatists, his best plays remain admired for their polish, theatrical intelligence, and enduring charm.