In this remarkable play Benavente is well-nigh as inscrutable as the sphinx. He recognizes the power of civilization and the inevitability of its advance. Yet he seems to value even more highly the gentle, noble patriotism of his hero. Other savages he describes as depraved and superstitious, although brave and in love with liberty. The whole composition is a masterly objective treatment of the unavoidable conflict between an advanced and a backward race.
Thesis Plays.—Those who are familiar only with Benavente's earlier manner can scarcely conceive of him as the author of a problem or thesis drama. A tendency to deny the presence of a thesis may be observed on the part of certain reviewers and critics. But careful reading of the plays and consideration of their chronological development disclose that at one period in his career Benavente's mind was busy with the problems of married life in such a way that he produced something very close to the drama with a purpose. We may trace the beginning of this tendency back to some of the first plays in which a strong woman is introduced as a foil to her worthless companions. Later, Alma triunfante is a glorification of a woman's generosity of soul, and Por qué se ama describes the influence of compassion in causing a woman to cling through thick and thin to the object of her affection.
In 1905 and 1906 appeared the plays that best illustrate a purposeful treatment of conjugal relations. Benavente's prime object is to idealize feminine love and constancy. A second theme, second in prominence only to the first, is a glorification of true love itself. The topic of compassion, already referred to, is carried to its greatest extreme in the gloomy but powerful tragedy Más fuerte que el amor.
Rosas de otoño.—The most striking of the problem plays is Rosas de otoño. Some critics who deny a thesis elsewhere admit it in this production. The heroine, Isabel, is married to Gonzalo, an unfaithful husband, who gives no heed to his wife's strictures, but persists in asserting that she is sacred to him in spite of everything. Gonzalo's daughter by an earlier marriage, María Antonia, marries a certain Pepe, whose actions are not above criticism. Yet Gonzalo defends him. Baseless rumors are circulated against the fair fame of María Antonia, and Pepe wishes to divorce her. Again Gonzalo defends him. This is too much for Isabel, who chides her husband so severely that she really succeeds in breaking through his selfishness. Although he endeavors to defend a feeble cause by an argument in favor of delinquent men, it is clear that his heart has been touched, and that Isabel, after long years of patient resignation, is destined to enjoy her "Autumn Roses."
The prevailing gloom of Rosas de otoño is relieved by certain trivial and even comic incidents on the part of minor characters, so arranged that they do not appear out of place. Moreover, Benavente is not too partisan; although frankly defending a cause, as a follower of Shakespeare he cannot forget that he is depicting human life. He gives due weight to the partial justice in the selfish arguments of Gonzalo and Pepe, and does not insist that they are utterly depraved. Heedlessness and egoism make them yield to temptation, but Gonzalo never overlooks the fact that his wife's honor must be respected and treasured.
Notwithstanding the good qualities of Rosas de otoño and kindred pieces, the play dealing with more or less conventional marital problems can scarcely be regarded as characteristic of Benavente. He is probably more successful in other directions.
Los malhechores del bien.—No other play of Benavente has provoked so great an outcry as Los malhechores del bien. On the surface it is a clever comedy containing an arraignment of misguided charity. It was received by the audience as anti-religious propaganda. On the night of its first performance many people left the theater by way of protest. It does not seem necessary to regard a dramatist as anti-clerical because he censures and ridicules the abuses and the patronizing attitude of religious organizations. The fact that they are religious is really accidental. The fault lies in the frailty of human nature. One Spanish reviewer very sensibly treats the play as a simple comedy and deprecates the storm of disapproval that greeted its appearance.[9]
It is worth noting that side by side with serious efforts Benavente produced between 1904 and 1906 four pieces marked exclusively by the search for comic effect. Especially amusing is Las cigarras hormigas, the longest member of the Teatro, a rollicking three act comedy, literally crammed with fun from beginning to end.
Period of Maturity.—Los buhos was first performed in February, 1907, and La malquerida in December, 1913. To the seven years between these dates belong twenty-five theatrical pieces that reveal Benavente as a mature, confident, versatile dramatist. So perplexing is the succession of different types of plays that they can be logically discussed only by disregarding chronology and making divisions according to subject matter.
Moral Tendency.—Prepared as a reader might be, after perusal of the problem plays, to anticipate further changes, he could scarcely expect from Benavente's pen simple sketches written with no other aim than to uphold humble virtues. Yet in some cases that is exactly what we find. A definite moral tone is observable in a large portion of Benavente's recent output. Los buhos is a beautiful treatment of the pure affection entertained by two scholars, father and son, for two friends who are mother and daughter. Por las nubes suggests emigration to South America as a remedy for the struggling middle classes; in this play there is a resort to the expedient of making one of the characters (a physician) a mouth-piece for the author's opinions. ¡A ver qué hace un hombre! is a plea for the unemployed workman. Hacia la verdad furnishes a eulogy of simple pleasures. De cerca is a literary gem that shows how the distrust existing between rich and poor may be overcome if they can learn to understand the common humanity that binds them. La fuerza bruta and La losa de los sueños glorify the spirit of sacrifice.