Literature: 1922

Benavente, Jacinto, pronounced bay nah VAYN tay, hah THEEN toh (1866-1954), was the outstanding Spanish playwright of the early 1900's. He won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1922. His plays reveal a skillful use of dialogue, a sense of irony, and psychological insight into his characters. He excelled in writing farces, satirical comedies, and plays for children. One of his characters says, "Life is a comedy, and it is foolish to try to make it a drama." His masterpiece, The Bonds of Interest (1907), ridicules self-seeking social types of Madrid for their worship of wealth and status. His other important plays include the rural dramas Senora Ama (1908) and The Passion Flower (1913). Jacinto Benavente y Martinez was born in Madrid. He wrote more than 80 plays.

Contributor: David Thatcher Gies, Ph.D., Commonwealth Professor of Spanish and Chairman, University of Virginia.