Lope and Tasso: The Presence of Torquato Tasso in Three of Lope de Vega's Mythological Plays

The exchange of literary ideas and techniques between Italy and Spain has been acknowledged and studied for some time. The focus of this article is on the connections between Torquato Tasso's ideas on poetic composition and those of Lope de Vega, as manifested in three of Lope's mythological plays. In Adonis y Venus, El Perseo , and El Laberinto de Creta , these links are examined in order to show that Tasso's influence is evident in Lope's plays, in addition to other literary genres into which the playwright ventured. Much work has been done on the relationship between Tasso and Lope with respect to the epic. However, less attention has been given to the role of Tasso's influences in the field of Lope's dramatic production. This article seeks to make a foray into that area. (TB)