La Malquerida : Drama en tres actos y en prosa by Jacinto Benavente
"La Malquerida: Drama en tres actos y en prosa" by Jacinto Benavente is a stage play written in the early 20th century. Set in a Castilian village, it follows Raimunda and her daughter Acacia—“la malquerida”—as a courtship draws the gaze of suitors, neighbors, and family, and stirs up jealousy, gossip, and questions of honor. The story probes how forbidden desire and communal pressure can turn love into violence and tear a household
in two. The opening of the play begins with a festive gathering for Acacia’s betrothal to Faustino, abruptly shattered by a gunshot that leaves the groom dead and the village blaming her cousin Norberto. Though the Justice frees him, the community splits into hostile camps, and Faustino’s father Eusebio vows revenge. Retreating to their farm, Raimunda summons Norberto, learns of a rumor that the killing was arranged to stop the marriage, and hears the new street-song branding Acacia “la malquerida,” which leads her to confront her daughter about a dangerous, unspoken pursuit within the household. She denounces her husband and shields Norberto from an ambush; at the start of the next act, Norberto lies wounded but not in mortal danger as villagers and authorities converge, and the threat of further violence hangs over them all. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Produced by Ramón Pajares Box. (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.)
Reading Level
Reading ease score: 75.7 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
