Content area
Full Text
Neophilologus (2013) 97:6583
DOI 10.1007/s11061-011-9285-x
Vicente Lled-Guillem
Published online: 16 September 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011
Abstract This essay focuses on the ideological confrontation that takes place in the epic poem El Monserrate by Cristbal de Virus, published for the rst time in 1587. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that this epic poem has a polyphonic character due to the tense coexistence of Universalism and Relativism that appears in the poem. Universalism is supported by the Papal discourse when he indicates that the expansion of Catholicism by means of the Spanish Empire will bring universal happiness. This ideology bears an epistemic resemblance to the Neoplatonism of Marsilio Ficino and Len Hebreo. However, Universalism is questioned by the love story of two Muslim characters: Lixerea and Armeno. Lixereas death in battle represents the impossibility of Armenos happiness, despite his nal conversion to Christianity. In fact, Armeno dies because his life does not seem to have any meaning or any possibility of fulllment without Lixerea. Armenos sense of incompleteness, which is also expressed by Lixerea before her death, can be found in the work of other authors such as Ausis March (14001459) and El Greco (15411614). Armenos spiritual breakdown and death despite having converted to Christianity questions the universalist project of the Pope. As a matter of fact, the dialogic character of this epic poem shows the ideological tension that existed in Spain and in Europe during this period and, at the same time, proves the importance of the study of Spanish epic poetry to understand the culture of the period.
Keywords El Monserrate Epic poetry Universalism Relativism
Neoplatonism Hierarchy Love The Other Marsilio Ficino
Len Hebreo Ausis March El Greco Incompleteness
V. Lled-Guillem (&)
Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, USA e-mail: [email protected]
La polifonapica en El Monserrate: la voz del amor de Lixerea y Armeno
123
66 V. Lled-Guillem
Entre los libros que el cura y el barbero salvan en la quema relatada en el captulo VI de la primera parte de Don Quijote (1605) se encuentra el poema pico El Monserrate (1587) del autor valenciano Cristbal de Virus (1550? >?) (68).1 El
Monserrate, que narra la fundacin del Monasterio en honor de la Virgen de Montserrat, ha sido poco estudiado como el...