ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that Guillen de Castro's early play, El caballero bobo, sheds light on the developing mind of Castro, illuminating his more mature work, La fuerza de la costumbre. It begins with a comparison of the brother—sister sibling pairs in both plays, to gain context and a sense of the personalities at play. Comparing some of the siblings' exchanges will illuminate the depth of characterization in both plays. The chapter also argues that the siblings undergo a transformation that goes deeper than sexuality, and touches on the very formation of identity. The end of El caballero bobo, with its ostensible happiness, makes a productive analogue to the end of La fuerza de la costumbre. In the context of the international war brewing behind the final moments of El caballero bobo, Castro's understanding of the power of transformation in these plays is shown to be fascinatingly partial.
