26 pages • 52 minutes read
José Zorrilla y MoralA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Don Juan Tenorio is the main character in the play. He is a wild young gallant who chases thrills, which is best illustrated by the bet he made with his friend to see who could do the most damage to others in a single year. Don Juan won by dishonoring more women and killing more men; he admits that he doesn't believe in God's salvation and thus seeks his pleasure while he's alive. Don Juan is easily able to manipulate and charm others because he is charismatic, intelligent, and sneaky. Despite this, he does fall for Dona Ines, a young woman who he intends to marry, and who has been living in a convent. When he tells her father that he will change for her, though, Don Gonzalo refuses to accept it and instead rejects him. When he's rejected, he reverts to form and blames others for his problems; he kills Don Gonzalo and Don Luis. This puts him back on the path to reject God until Dona Ines, dead because of the Don Juan's actions, bargains her soul to save him. Don Juan still does not accept her offer of salvation until he's literally about to be dragged into Hell. He is stubborn, self-assured, and convinced of his own rightness even in the face of evidence that the ghostly apparitions he's seeing are real. When he finally accepts her, he's taken to Heaven with her and saved from Hell.
Don Luis Mejia is Don Juan’s rival, a gallant of Seville, and much like Don Juan. He, too, spent a year dishonoring women and killing men in order to win the bet. He didn't achieve the same numbers and lost the betbut doesn't repent of his actions. He's reckless, charming, charismatic, and pleasure-seeking. Despite his actions, he's enraged when Don Juan decides to try to seduce Dona Ana, his fiancée. When he, like Don Gonzalo, rejects Don Juan's attempts to say he's changed, Don Juan stabs him, and he dies.
Don Gonzalo de Ulloa is the father of Dona Ines, and comendador (knight commander) of Calatrava. He is tricky and stern. He sneaks into the tavern where Don Juan and Don Luis meet to discuss their bet and hides from them, so they won't know they're being overheard. He's clever enough to realize his future son-in-law might hide his true character from him. Don Gonzalo is also honorable and loves his daughter deeply. He goes to confront Don Juan and refuses to yield when Don Juan says he's a changed person. His attempt to rescue his daughter results in his death.
Don Diego Tenorio is the father of Don Juan. He, like Don Gonzalo, is noble and intelligent. He sneaks into the same tavern to learn the truth of his son and hides so that it won't be kept from him. Once he knows the kind of man his son is, his honor compels him to use the family fortune and family lands to create a cemetery containing statues of Don Juan’s victims.
Dona Ines de Ulloa is the opposite of Don Juan. She loves God, is a novice in a convent, and seeks to please God in her life. When she's brought to Don Juan's estate, she immediately wants to go to her father's house to preserve her virtue. However, she also loves Don Juan and wants to be with him. She's loyal enough that she's willing to bargain her soul with God to save Don Juan. She has one night to get him to accept salvation with her or they'll both be taken to Hell. Ultimately, she succeeds and says the pureness of her soul cleaned his own.
Buttarelli is the owner of the tavern where Don Luiz and Don Juan meet to discuss their exploits. He's driven by profit and allows Don Gonzalo and Don Diego to hide in the tavern and listen to the conversation the two other men have. He thinks to himself that even though he has good wares, it doesn't matter that they're spending money for nothing as long as they're spending. He also admires Don Juan greatly, even though he sees the results of his evil misdeeds. He isn't a moral person and clearly thinks of Don Juan as someone to look up to.
Marcos Ciutti is Don Juan’s villainous servant. He appreciates the pleasures that serving the man gives him and he tells Buttarelli that his own indulgences have been paid for by his master. He's also immoral; he's willing to help trick Dona Ines and her attendant so that Don Juan can kidnap her to fulfil the terms of the second bet.
Dona Ana de Pantoja is the fiancée of Don Luis Mejia. She is loyal and promises him that she won't sleep with Don Juan. Unfortunately, she is tricked into thinking that Don Juan is Don Luis and thus is unable to marry Don Luis. She's very wealthy. After she's tricked and can't marry Don Luis, he says she is left abandoned and bereft.
Brigida is the servant of Dona Ines, Don Juan's promised bride. She's sneaky and motivated by money. When Marcos Ciutti approaches her with the plan to turn Dona Ines's mind toward Don Juan, she takes the money and agrees to do it. She manipulates Dona Ines into thinking Don Juan is wonderful and yearning for her. She says, "I have convinced her in such a clever way she'll follow you, any day, like a little lamb” (43). Brigida seems to pity Dona Ines's isolation somewhat and calls her a "poor little bird in a cage” (43).
Captain Centellas is a friend of Don Juan. Centellas believes that Don Juan is eviler than Don Luis. He says that he's wagering everything he has on Don Luis. He's perceptive enough to recognize Don Juan even when he wears a mask. He's a God-fearing man who warns Don Juan to fear those who are of God.
Don Rafael de Avellaneda is a friend of Don Luis and, later, Don Juan. He bet on Don Luis to win the wager. He's an impulsive man who says that even though he doesn't know anything about Don Juan, he believes he knows enough of Don Luis's deeds to wager blindly.
Pascual is a servant of Don Luis who agrees to help him with the second bet between Don Luis and Don Juan. He says he'll serve him until death. He is loyal and also grounded. He tells Don Luis to forget the bet.
Lucia is Doña Ana's maid, and is selfish and driven by money. Even though she knows Dona Ana is engaged, she agrees to let Don Juan in for 200 gold pieces. At first, he offers 100, but then doubles it when she hesitates.
Two town guardsmen witness the discussion of the wager and five years later explain to Don Juan the significance of the cemetery. He invites them and the statue of the comendador to come to dinner.