El beso

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El Beso is one of the legends from Gustavo Adolfo Bécquers Leyendas. The Toledian legend was first published in "La América" ​​in Madrid on July 27, 1863 .

action

During the War of Independence (1807–1814), a young officer in the French military and his troops were housed in an old monastery in the city of Toledo . On his first night he discovers the statue of Elvira de Castañeda kneeling in the big chapel of the dilapidated building. The soldier is immediately enchanted by the marble beauty of the lady. Next to her is her husband, who kneels down in prayer. From that moment on, the officer feels jealous. The next day, he tells his comrades about his unique infatuation and invites them to a nightly party where they can get to know his beloved. In the evening they come to the monastery, light a fire to warm themselves, and the officer in love shows them the statue of his adored lady, whereupon everyone praises her great beauty. Then they start drinking and singing. At night, when the alcohol is taking effect, the young man goes to the statue of the husband and throws his mug in his face in a kind of declaration of war. Then, in his drunkenness, through a strange passion, he goes to his lady with the intention of kissing her. The stone husband then gives him a fatal blow, which deeply shocked his comrades.

structure

The story is divided into three parts. The first part mainly describes how the French troops arrive at the monastery and spend the first night. The protagonists do not appear here yet. The second and third parts are the hub of the narrative. The next day, the officer in love tells his comrades that he woke up in the middle of the night and found the statue of his beloved and was immediately delighted with it (story in the story). He then invited his comrades to get to know them the following night. In the third and longest part, the nocturnal feast and the husband's challenge are described. The story is resolved in the last sentence: the officer in love is struck by a fatal blow from the stony husband.

teller

The narrator is omniscient and describes the event in the first person. Whereby it changes in some places into a plural of politeness: but our hero ..., accordingly we leave it to be said ... The report of the officer in love is described from the first person.

The people

  • The young officer, sometimes called the captain. He is described as a young man who seeks perfection in beauty and is intoxicated with pure love. He is brave, dreamy, foolhardy, and jealous. He corresponds to the cliché of the romantic man.
  • The statue of Elvira de Castañeda has an immobile role. She represents the ideal of unattainable goodness, beauty and purity. Their demeanor is suppliant and submissive.
  • The statue of her husband in the form of a soldier. He is portrayed as a rival, faithful husband and protector without development. He punishes the outrageous soldier who desecrates him.
  • The officer's comrades are only of secondary importance as witnesses and in some cases participants in the events.

place

The action takes place in the city of Toledo . Some buildings are mentioned: the Alcazar, the Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes, the Puerta del Sol and the Zocodover Square. Some of them appear in other legends of Becquér (The golden bracelet). However, none of these locations has a plot meaning.