TANTO ES LO DE MÁS COMO LO DE MENOS

TanMas

REPARTO

Dos pastores y la Avaricia (reparto) no aparecen.

I

Felicia is to choose her husband from three suitors: Nineucio, Liberio and Lázaro.  Nineucio is very wealthy, but not young and handsome like the other two.  She chooses Nineucio, saying he is rich but not miserly for he makes a big show of his wealth and spends a great deal.  Liberio predicts that she will be sorry because Nineucio is too old for her.  Lázaro says he realizes more than ever that worldy goods will pass and that treasures should be stored up in heaven.  His belief contrasts sharply with that of Nineucio, who puts all his faith in his earthly possessions and does not believe in eternal life.

Liberio is the second son of Clemente.  His elder brother, Modesto, criticizes him for being a spend thrift and a gambler.  After being rejected by Felicia, Liberio decides to ask for his part of his inheritance from his mother and go to Egypt.  Meanwhile, Gulín, Liberio's lackey, has been caught by Clemente stealing jewels.  At Modesto's urging Clemente decides to give Liberio his inheritance and let him and Gulín go to Egypt.  Liberio and Gulín set out on their journey, putting their hopes for happiness on gambling and women.

Nineucio, on the other hand, refuses to show clemency to his majordomo, who robbed him of some money, even though Dina, the majordomo's wife, pleads with him.  He also refuses to give Simón money to bury his wife, a relative of Nineucio's.  He turns away the poor and locks the doors of his house while he eats.  The generous Lázaro intervenes on the part of the oppressed and given Nineucio a farm on the Jordan in exchange for the majordomo's freedom and gives Simón money for the funeral.  He also feeds the poor.

II

In Egypt Liberio is spending his money, losing at gambling and buying expensive gifts for women.  He is very generous and has made new friends -- Nisiro, Diodoro and Nicandro; as well as Taida and Flora, to whom he gives money, carriages and gold chains.  When Lázaro appears, now poor and in rags after having given away all his fortune to the poor, Liberio tells him that he is spending his money wisely, to make friends.  He says that the poor are not true friends, even though you give them money.

Lázaro goes to Nineucio, who is his uncle, but later, denying that Lázaro is a relative of his, won't take him in.  Felicia tells her husband that he should be more kind, but he refuses.  Lázaro asks him how he can turn down a human being when he feeds his hounds, but Nineucio says they guard his house and protect him so he feeds them.  He adds that the hounds are too smart to like the poor. Felicia is growing tired of Nineucio.  He only sleeps and eats; he even goes to sleep while talking to her.  She says he'd sell his own parents for a moment's sleep.  He only cares for his own comfort.  His stomach is his God; he does not believe in an afterlife.  She complains that he never makes love to her, either.

Liberio, meanwhile, has lost more money gambling than he has with him and his friends are unwilling to wait until a servant brings more from his house.  They want some diamonds that he has with him as security.  At this point Gulín comes to tell him that the house and all their possessions have burned up because the groom drank too much wine and let hot oil from his torch drop on the straw and start a fire.  They have nothing left except the clothes on their backs.  Diodoro, Nisiro, Taida and Flora promise to stand by them.  Liberio and Gulín go to look at the ruins, but on the way they are robbed by some bandits (capeadores) and left naked, except that Gulín still has his shirt because the robbers heard someone coming before they could take it.  Liberio and Gulín go to their friends, but are refused admittance and water is thrown down on them.  Now that they are poor their "friends" won't have anything to do with them.  They ask Nineucio for shelter, but he sends them off.

III

Gulín is now the majordomo of a farm of Nineucio, who hired him partly because of Gulín's name, which reminded him of "gula" (gluttony).  When Liberio comes along, poor and hungry, Gulín pretends not to know him and tells him to go on his way.  Liberio recognizes Gulín, and finally Gulín says he can tend the pigs.  Gulín gives Liberio acorns to feed the pigs and tells him not to eat any of them.  Although Liberio does not eat any, Gulín, Laureta and Garbón say he did and drive him off.  He is beginning to see the error of his ways.

Felicia, meanwhile, has come to the country.  She is very sad and sees what a mistake it was to marry for money.  She hopes to escape her troubles and find happiness in the country, but she finds trouble there too.  She hears Liberio lamenting his fate, and talks to him.  Upon seeing him and talking to him she falls in love with him and offers him money in exchange for his love, but he says he will have no more of worldly goods, for they only bring unhappiness.

While the poor beg for food outside his door, Nineucio is enjoying his only pleasure: eating.  The presence of the hungry people outside pleases him because it makes his own food taste better.  Lázaro, now a leper, comes and begs Nineucio for crumbs, promising to repay him by helping him to earn eternal life by doing this good work, but Nineucio will have none of it.  He still does not believe in an afterlife; he casts Lázaro out with orders to kill him, but poor Lázaro is already dying.  Suddenly Nineucio is struck by a burning sensation in his stomach, while outside the poor whom he has refused to feed are cursing him.

In the meantime Liberio returns home.  His father forgives him and orders the fatted calf killed to celebrate his homecoming.  Modesto is jealous of Liberio's warm reception, but his father explains to him that he's still the first born but that Liberio has learned his lesson and they must forgive him.  Felicia comes, bearing the news that both Nineucio and Lázaro have died, and says she is sorry for her foolish choice in marrying for money.  Clemente says that she and Liberio will marry.  Then he asks God to show them, especially Liberio, how He rewards the humble poor (such as Lázaro) and punishes the proud (such as Nineucio).

The last scene shows this reward and punishment.  Lázaro is in Abraham's lap while Nineucio is in Hell.  All Nineucio's food is pouring forth flames and he begs for Lázaro to come down to bring him water on his finger.  Abraham will not let Lázaro go, however. Nineucio then asks Abraham to send Lázaro to warn Nineucio's brothers before they die, but Abraham refuses again.  He says that Moses and the Prophets have said it all and if they don't believe the Prophets they won't believe even one from the dead.  As the play ends Clemente tells Liberio that the middle way is the best and that he should shun both extremes, that of avarice as well as that of being a spendthrift.