The semiotics of disguise in seventeenth­ century Spanish theatre

Abstract

The theatrical phenomenon of the disguise in two seventeenth-century Spanish plays is examined in terms of the sender-message-receiver transaction. This disguise is seen as a 'sign-vehicle' manifesting high semiotic flexibility as it denotes and at the same time connotes meaning on more than one level. The Don Juan disguise in El burlador de Sevilla (The Deceitful Trickster of Seville) by Tirso de Molina and the Rosaura, Clotaldoand Basilio disguises in La vida es suefio (Life is a Dream) by Calderon de la Barca are shown to communicate their message to a destination receiver by means of a number of codes - extratextual, intertextual and intratextual • which are illustrated in diagram form and explicated in detail. The conclusion reached is that the disguise event is a tangible theatrical device which effectively integrates the themes that a worldly concept of life is an illusion, a dream and a stage and that man's task is to separate the true from the false, the real from the illusory.

Opsomming
Die teaterverskynsel van vermomming in twee sewentiende-eeuse Spaanse dramas word uit die oogpunt van die verhouding sender-boodskap-ontvanger ondersoek. Hierdie vermom­mingselement word beskou as 'n 'tekendraer' wat groot semiotiese buigbaarheid openbaar deurdat betekenis tegelykertyd op meer as een v1ak aangedui en geimpliseer word. Die Don Juan-vermomming in El burlador de Sevilla (Die oorlamse skelm van Sevilla} deur Tirso de Molina en die vermomming van Rosaura, Clotaldo en Basilio in La vida es suefio (Die lewe is 'n droom) deur Calder6n de la Barca dra hul boodskap aan 'n bestemmingsontvanger oor deur middel van 'n hele paar kodes - ekstratekstueel, inlertekstueel, en intratekstueel. Hierdie kodes word diagrammaties verduidelik en in besonderhede onlleed. Daar word tot die slotsom gekom dat die vermommingselement 'n tasbare teatermiddel is, waardeur die volgende temas op 'n effektiewe wyse geintegreer word: dat die wereldse konsep van die lewe 'n illusie, 'n droom en 'n verhoogspel is en dat dit die mens se taak is om die waarheid van die onwaarheid en die werklike van die illusie te onderskei.