Don Juan is considered to be the most famous and even legendary libertine, the affairs of whom have been described by many authors during different periods of time. This personality was a real genius, who was able to seduce any woman any time. He got unbelievable pleasure while fighting with his male competitors in order to prove his charm, his passion, and his feelings to the chosen woman.
There can be little doubt as to the fact that Tirso de Molina’s play “Don Juan of Seville” provides the reader with the insight into the life and moral principles of Don Juan and even underlines the variety of socio-political issues, commonly associated with the time of Spanish Golden Age. It would be absolutely wrong to think that this of play’s semantic message is culturally or theologically defined, simply because play’s storyline appears to have universal implication.
While reading “Don Juan of Seville”, we get a better understanding as to what accounts for men’s existential unworthiness, regardless of these men’s cultural and religious affiliation.
Don Juan’s success among women is based on his knowledge of women’s psychology and understanding that women cannot be attracted by banal phrases and actions; the absence of behavioral nobleness and his shameless make this hero capable to raise unbelievable passion inside of a woman so that each of them was ready to yield to his temptation and enjoy the emotions, which may in heaven any woman.
The history of Western civilization is the history of metaphysical manliness affecting the course of historical events, development of female psychology, and general male-female relationships. This effect is inherent even today, despite the process of Western societies becoming increasingly “feminized”. Such manliness has been traditionally associated with masculine virtues of rationale, courage, physical strength, and will-power.
The foremost psychological difference between men and women is that men are expected to be able to suppress their animalistic urges in order to act “as necessary”, as opposed to women’s tendency to act “as it feels like”. Physically attractive women inspire passion in men’s hearts by their mere existence; it is namely men’s deeds and the strength of their individuality, which account for their value in the eyes of women.
Jon Juan may be regarded as a drone-simulator, who simply utilizes “passion” as an instrumental tool to achieve his womanizing agenda. As it appears from Molina’s play, Jon Juan is the only hero, who is rather good at all these affairs. After having been washed ashore in Tarragona, Don Juan gets to be found by Tisbea, who instantly becomes Don Juan’s next victim, because of her underdeveloped ability to operate with the terms of logic. Immediately, after Don Juan opens his eyes and sees Tisbea for the first time in his life, he proclaims:
“If I died in the waves,
I’ve come to life in your arms
And the radiance of your charms
Like the sun burning away the clouds
Has dispelled the fears that shrouded me
In that hellish sea…” (Alvarez 144)
The reason of why having a “relationship” with Don Juan could have never benefited women, is hidden within a context of the purpose and abilities, Don Juan paid attention to he was never able to offer his next “lady of heart” anything but his body.
Don Juan preyed on women in the same manner fishermen go about catching fish. Just like these fishermen, misleading fishes by having them exposed to the sight of a shiny lure, Don Juan used to prompt women to confuse “passion with “love” and made them exposed to his sophistically sounding but utterly meaningless rhetoric.
Whereas normal men go about realizing their existential potential by indulging in intellectual pursuits, by trying to attain financial independence, or by participating in the war, Don Juan strived to realize his potential solely by turning his body into the “lure” for women. And, by doing it, he actively opposed the laws of nature.
Those who oppose the laws of nature, inevitably end up being turned into the agents of entropy in this world. Apparently, Don Juan felt the counter-productive essence of his own existence. However, the realization of this fact never dismayed him. Moreover, he actively sought to cause others to act just like himself:
“Go on, seek her out, visit her, write her, trick her.
Who cares if the world catches fire and burns?” (Alvarez 161)
I truly believe that Don Juan was not that type of man, who wanted to have sexual relations with women in order to satisfy own ego. It is easier to believe that there are certain human needs, which make Don Juan attract women, gain their recognition as the most fascinating lover of all the times. The success, he gained among each woman, may be connected even to his communication with men, his style of courting, and his words, he perfectly chose for each woman:
“I was nearly lost,
but in your divine dawn,
I’m reborn” (Alvarez 144).
In order to succeed that Don Juan so perfectly demonstrated, it is necessary to pay more attention to the words and their associations from a female point of view. Women like talks about weather, passion, saving, and care. When a man confesses that women’s power is so great that is able to save a man and provide him with the necessary efforts to continue living, any woman is reborn as well.
The vast majority of men prove that their sexual desire guides their emotions, their actions, and their attitudes to women. Many women know this truth and try to recognize when men demonstrate their sincere devotion and when they just want to achieve the purpose and have a woman. Don Juan’s peculiarity lies in the fact that he speaks not much about him and his desire but takes certain steps to take advantage of a woman, satisfy her and get personal satisfaction in return.
Tirso de Molina’s play “Don Juan of Seville” is a wonderful piece of literary work that helps the reader to comprehend the essence of the greatest lover of all the times. Not each man can easily gain recognition among at least one woman and present her really memorable satisfaction.
Don Juan’s actions, words, and even thoughts were just perfect because he certainly knew a lot about female psychology and the things, which may capture a woman and do not let her go until a man decides. To my mind, this play has to be read by everyone, who wants to enlarge own level of knowledge about the major rules of female and male temptation and connect them to the culture that was inherent to Spanish Golden Age.
Works Cited
Alvarez, Lynne. Collected Plays. Volume 1. Don Juan of Seville by Tirso de Molina. NY: A Smith and Kraus Book, 1998. Print