Location as a Metaphor and the Use of Ironic Doubling in Tirso de Molina’s Los balcones de Madrid

Abstract

Abstract In Tirso de Molina’s Los balcones de Madrid, the urban space itself acts as a character as the author uses a doubling technique to pair location with types of action. The play takes place in three and a half spaces: Public, Semi-Public, Private, and the titular Balcony. Each space serves a specific function that Tirso highlights through a constant doubling that is intended to reinforce meaning. The author argues that the staging of the play is essential to this use of space and Tirso’s doubling effect. Further, Tirso’s extensive use of stage directions indicates that the play was written with the visual aspects of performance in mind as a means to further his message.