Abstract
This article examines Lope de Vega's poetic dramatization of Seville's maritime culture and space in El Arenal de Sevilla, an early comedia urbana composed in 1603 while the playwright was residing in Seville. Set amid the ships docked along the Guadalquivir River, the chaotic play presents long sequences of side plots and frenzied scene changes that reflect the bustling seaport and its mass maritime transit. The theme of constant motion around Arenal banks and the constant poetic attention to the Indies Fleet reveal how maritime operations define the play's metropolitan space as a convergence of oceangoing travelers and goods unfettered by traditional borders. Moreover, Lope's characters merge their poetic descriptions of the Indies Fleet with the physical site of the riverbank, suggesting the Arenal, and by extension Seville, is itself like a ship that can transport is its inhabitants anywhere.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
