ABSTRACT
Beatrice-Joanna, the wilful daughter of the Governor of Alicante, has just married the Valencian gentleman Alsemero. The marriage is a wish fulfilled. But earlier in the play she rid herself of her unwanted fianc Alonso, murdered by her dutiful servant De Flores. In exchange for the murder, De Flores deflowers Beatrice in the scene immediately preceding. Here Beatrice expresses her fears that she has deceived her new husband and that her deceit will be discovered if she proves to be pregnant. In her husbands apartment she finds a strange closet full of potions and a book of tests to expose signs of pregnancy. In this frantic speech Beatrice is consumed with thoughts of two men at once: De Flores and Alsemero. At its centre is a psychological study of a capricious young woman who gradually changes from an innocent to a victimiser to a victim as the result of a sudden crime of passion.
