Several of Shakespeare's plays, of course, touch on Spaniards and
Spanish matters. Don Adriana de Armado (the "fantastical Spaniard")
in LLL, obviously, but also Don Pedro and Don John in Much Ado. And
Borachio too for that matter. Sicily is a part of Spain -- it's
interesting to think of them as NOT Italians like the rest of the
cast. Don Pedro is off to Aragon, he says, after the wedding, though
Claudio, who offers to go with him!, is a Florentine and Benedick
from Padua. The Prince of Aragon in Merchant of Venice is another
national protrait of sorts. Even, God help us, Iago might be
included, though Spain seems to be for him a subtextual (Sant Iago
Matamoros) rather than an explicit element. Othello has a sword from
Spain, and of course raises the whole questions of Moors.... But
that's a large can of worms.
Tom
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