The Spanish playwright Juan Ruiz de Alarcón y Mendoza (1581-1639) was a major figure of Spain's Golden Age, 1580-1680. His work is distinguished by mastery of humorous dialogue and by use of a thesis, or basic premise, to satirize common human failings.

Juan Ruiz de Alarcón was born in Mexico to parents from distinguished Spanish families. He was educated in both Mexico and Spain and obtained two law degrees. He returned to Spain in 1614 and became a playwright, and there he received most of his acclaim.

Perhaps Alarcón's colonial background and certainly his physical defect (he was hunchbacked) inspired the monstrous jibes directed at him, such as "dwarfed camel," "monkey," and "trunk poet." Although Alarcón returned the barbs in kind, bitterness may account for the presence in his plays of characters who lack physical grace but possess impressive moral strength...