Gutierre is initially convinced that the prince must be innocent. He makes a case in the prince’s defence but the compelling evidence of the dagger still dogs him. It is ironic that he should be pleased with discovering a subtlety that turns out to be completely the opposite of his own conclusion. The first line of the passage refers not only to his very own argument but could also be reminiscent of the discussion that he consequently has with Mencía at her window. The words:
“…Mencía es quien es ,
y soy quien soy…”
are statements defining identity that occurs repeatedly in Calderón’s “comedias”, particularly when noble characters (often wives in the “dramas de honor) find themselves in circumstances that test their resolve to maintain their integrity . In this case Gutierre suspects Prince Enrique was in his house without him knowing. Such an act dishonours both parties: Gutierre is dishonoured because his wife has “received” a man at night, thus contradicting the convention of receiving a guest on public show. The prince arguably loses more integrity and honour as a result of this act since he, like Arias enters the house on the sly knowing of the marriage. His status and the fact that it is night time further dishonour the prince. But although Gutierre is affirming him and his wife’s integrity, he is mistaken. In reality, he commits a cold-blooded murder on his wife which can be seen as the most dishonourable act in the play. He is also mistaken about his wife, since from his viewpoint Mencía has welcomed another man into the house in full knowledge of the conventions and the consequences.
The next lines: “…no hay quien pueda// borrar de tanto esplendor // la hermosura y la pureza.” are highly ironic because one could argue that Gutierre himself erases the beauty, splendour and purity of Mencía by killing her. It is also a contradiction because the integrity of their relationship is ultimately shattered. Gutierre mentions the word “pureza” in ignorance of Mencía having a relationship with the Prince before her marriage.
Gutierre proceeds to correct himself. His allusions to the sun are reminiscent of his speech in Act One in which he refers to the prince as a :
“!rayo español!” . The imagery of black clouds could refer to integrity being spoiled by a dishonourable act. In this case one would presume it to be the prince. This could also mirror Gutierre’s want to kill the prince later in the play. Gutierre says :
“?Qué injusta ley condena
que muera el inocente, que padezca?”
This statement is another contradiction. Mencía dies at the end of the play but there is a strong case for her innocence. It is highly ironic that it should be Gutierre who has her killed whilst at the same time saying things of this nature.
Don Gutierre addresses “honor” as if it were a person. This demonstrates the importance of honour in the play and how there is always a danger of it being affected by even the smallest of actions. The words:
“…puesto que os alienta
la mujer, en ella estáis
pisando siempre la güesa.”
Imply that a man’s honour can only be diminished by the lapse of a female member of his family. This echoes Mencía’s act of having a relationship with the prince and thus dishonouring Gutierre. In the same vein, the imagery of the tomb and the sepulchre is a precursor to Mencía’s death at the end of the play.
Honour is such an integral part of Gutierre that he compares dishonour to an illness. He is keen to have his honour and integrity restored because of:
“este primero accidente”. Gutierre says: “Sea la primera medicina cerrar al daño las puertas…” apart from being understood metaphorically, these words can also apply to the prince being kept away from his house. Gutierre takes on the role of “médico” and vows to keep silent about the affair. His scheme is to flatter Mencía on the grounds that she will not suspect his grievances. Although Gutierre uses pleasantries when he comes to her window and thinks that:
“…he hallado mi honor, hacer no quiero // por agora otra cura, // pues la salud en él está segura…” His tactic of flattery and sweet words lead Mencía to believe that it is the prince at her window. It is therefore ironic that Gutierre should use this flattery so that the sickness does not grow out of neglect.
Gutierre reasons that unpleasantries and suspicion sicken more than they can cure, especially with one’s wife. However, he completely shatters this idea by mentioning his jealousy in the last line of the passage and he remains suspicious until the close of the play. Gutierre decides to go to his house in secret that night to see what his wife and the prince are up to. In these lines he refers to the malady as the secret relationship his wife is having whereas in the lines above it was his honour that needed curing. This highlights the fact that his marriage and his honour are often synonymous.
The list of Gutierre’s emotions finally show how his anguish has been released. The repetition of the word “este” emphasizes the fact that these emotions have been at the forefront of his mind. In the last line of the passage Gutierre is amazes himself by saying that he is jealous. After trying to establish what his feelings are, it is jealousy which strikes him. He realises in the lines after the passage that jealousy is a bad vice. Ultimately this is the emotion that drives him to have Mencía killed despite the fact that Gutierre tries to take back his words.
In this passage Gutierre is portrayed as a man desperate to find out what is going on between Mencía and the prince. His honour and integrity are at risk and he is eager to have them restored. By questioning himself, Gutierre realises that it is jealousy which is causing his unrest. One could say that the emotions in this passage go a long way to reflect a play which is fuelled by honour but finished by jealousy.
