EL AMOR Y EL AMISTAD

AmAmis

Escena: En las inmediaciones de Moncada y en Barcelona.

REPARTO

I

Don Guillén sees Estela, whom he loves, talking to his good friend Don Grao. She tells Grao that she does not love him; she is in love with Guillén. Grao says he did not know this and that Guillén should have told him in friendship. However, he says that Estela and Guillén should have each other and kisses her hand, wishing them well. Guillén is not close enough to hear all the conversation and when he sees Grao kissing Estela's hand he misinterprets the situation and becomes jealous, thinking that Grao loves Estela. After Grao leaves, Guillén reproaches Estela for being fickle and complains that Grao is a disloyal friend. Estela is angry that Guillén is so suspicious and does not bother to explain. Guillén's doubts about Estela's love for him are abetted by the fact that he is now poor because he has spent his fortune in aiding Ramón, whose brother was trying to disinherit him.

Gastón, an old friend of Guillén's, arrives from Aragón with the news that Don Hugo, the Count of Barcelona, knows that Guillén aided Hugo's brother Ramón and spent all his wealth to help him when Hugo tried to disinherit him in favor of the King of France. Guillén denies the rumor that he was going to take arms against Hugo. Ramón is now in Navarra. Gastón wants to get Hugo to forgive Guillén and restore him to Hugo's good graces.

Grao now comes to tell Guillén that he should have told him (Grao) that Estela loves him (Guillén) and he promises not to court Estela any more. He also says that Hugo has died and left Ramón as heir to be the Count of Barcelona. Guillén, still angry about Grao and Estela, does not believe what Grao says. Grao now realizes that Guillén saw him and Estela and misunderstood. Ramón arrives and gives Guillén new titles: Count de Ampurias, Duke de Girona, Marqués de Castellón, and Vizconde de Moncada. He is to take Guillén to the court of Barcelona. (¿Guillén promises to intercede with Ramón on behalf of Gastón who had been a friend of Hugo?)

II

In Barcelona Doña Gracia and Doña Vitoria are arguing about Guillén. Each insists she is irresistible to men and that Guillén loves her and that count Ramón is interceding with him on her behalf. When Estela appears they tell all this to her. Soon Guillén and Ramón come and the three women ask Ramón which of them is to marry Guillén. Ramón leaves it up to Guillén, who says he loves one of the ladies in the room and will find a private opportunity to tell her, because he does not want to offend the others. Later, when left alone, Estela and Guillén quarrel, as he tells her that she let Grao take his (Guillén's) place with her so quickly, while she retorts by crying and saying he is not so slow either. Angry and jealous, she ends up declaring that she is not sorry that he is in love with someone else. Gastón, Dalmao and Grao all come to thank Guillén for his aid on their behalf with Ramón. Grao explains that Guillén jumped to the wrong conclusion when he saw him with Estela. Guillén is now perplexed and does not know what to believe. Finally he asks Ramón to help him in a test of whether Estela loves him and who his true friends are. Ramón agrees to the plan whereby he will feign anger at Guillén and take away his title and lands as punishment.

Guillén tries to lead on both Vitoria and Gracia by indicating to each that she is the one he loves. Then Ramón arrives with several nobles and has Guillén taken prisoner. Now both Vitoria and Gracia say that Guillén loved the other. Since he is out of favor, neither wants him.

III

Ramón orders Gastón to take Guillén's possessions from his home. Don Garcerán tells Guillén to pay his debts, but he has nothing left with which to pay them with. Gastón, Garcerán and Dalmao all excuse themselves from helping Guillén financially, even though he had befriended each of them previously. Gilote, a shepherd, and Galván, Guillén's old servant, visit Guillén. Galván wants his wages, but Gilote tries to silence him and finally ends up by saying he will sell his two oxen to pay Galván. Don Hugo brings orders from Ramón that Guillén be imprisoned in the tower.

Meanwhile Ramón talks to Vitoria and Gracia, who state that they do not wish to marry anyone who has gone against Ramón. They reach an agreement with Ramón for Vitoria to marry Gastón, and Gracia to marry Dalmao. Next Grao makes an offer to Ramón to pay Guillén's debts and to die in his place, but Ramón orders him imprisoned instead. Ramón divides Guillén's titles between Gastón and Dalmao, who accept them without protest and who also agree to marry Vitoria and Gracia, respectively. Estela begs Ramón to free Guillén and offers to pay his debts herself. She would give her life for his. Ramón instructs her to return that night. He then goes to tell Guillén that Grao and Estela are his loyal friends. He also gives Guillén a key, with instructions to come to his room in an hour. Ramón continues with his pretense of feigning anger against Guillén when Gastón, Dalmao and Garcerán see him with Guillén. He promises that Guillén and Grao will die the next day. Gilote, meanwhile, has let himself down the chimney in a basket in order to enter Guillén's room of imprisonment to see if he can help. Ramón orders him arrested and put in chains.

That night, having been instructed by Ramón to come in an hour and thinking they do not know he is there, Guillén listens as Estela meets with Ramón. Ramón declares his love to Estela; he wants to marry her, although the King of Aragón has offered him his daughter to marry. Ramón explains that his anger against Guillén stems from the fact that Guillén tried to seduce the Count's young sister. At this point Guillén bursts forth, angry with both Ramón and Estela. He summons the others to witness how Ramón has deceived him and is trying to take Estela away from him. Upon hearing his calling Gastón, Garcerán, Dalmao, Vitoria and Gracia appear, and Estela announces to all that she does not want to marry any of them and is going back to the peace and quiet of the country. She has not yielded to Ramón. Grao and Gilote are brought from the prison and Ramón now explains how the whole situation was a ruse so that Guillén could find out who his true friends are. He was just testing Elena, when Guillén interrupted them and he reassures Guillén that she is indeed faithful, as are Grao and Gilote. Dalmao and Gracia, Gastón and Vitoria are still to marry, but they have to return Guillén's and Grao's titles to them. Their punishment, as well as that of Garcerán, is the shame they feel as a result of their disloyal behavior toward Guillén and Grao. Estela and Guillén marry, of course, and Gilote is to be the chief Guard (guarda mayor) of Ramón, who is to marry the Princess of Aragón.