
Set in a bustling Spanish town, this lively comedy opens with a tangled web of family ambition and fraternal rivalry. Don Henrique, a domineering lord, holds his younger brother Jamie in a tight grip, hoping the lack of an heir will someday pass the estate to the eager sibling. Their scheming is only the first ripple in a sea of misunderstandings that promises plenty of humor and sharp repartee.
Around them swirl a colorful cast: the greedy lawyer Bartolus, the flirtatious gentleman Leandro, a trio of loyal friends, and the ever‑resourceful Spanish curate with his bumbling sexton. Romantic entanglements, false pretenses, and witty wordplay keep the audience guessing which alliance will hold and which will crumble. The first act sets the stage for a rollicking series of mishaps, where honor, money, and love collide in true farcical fashion.
Language
en
Duration
~2 hours (132K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Jayam Subramanian and PG Distributed Proofreaders
Release date
2004-04-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1584–1616
Best known for his lively partnership with John Fletcher, this Jacobean dramatist helped shape the English stage with plays that blend wit, romance, and sudden turns of feeling. His work includes "The Knight of the Burning Pestle," still admired for its playful, surprising take on theater itself.
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1579–1625
A leading dramatist of the Jacobean stage, he helped shape English theater after Shakespeare and is still best known for his lively collaborations with Francis Beaumont. His plays mix romance, wit, and sudden turns of feeling in a way that kept audiences coming back.
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