Aproximaciones culturales al mito de Don Juan en las obras de Tirso de Molina, Molière y Zorrilla

This article examines how the myth of Don Juan that has been retold and heard in several countries beyond Spain – France, Italy, England, the Americas – continues to seduce and fascinate both the general public and lovers of literature alike. The influence of this myth is such that these days almost everyone is familiar with his tongue, as the way a snake does with its gaze, always after women, ever in pursuit until he conquers them. The smooth evolution of this myth over almost four centuries has suffered great changes. For this reason, an examination of the changing personality of Don Juan through time seems appropriate, in what concerns to arrogance, ostentation, and theatricality characterization not only the seventeenth century persona, but also his modern incarnations. It is this very permanence of the game, which compels us to look for what is behind the mask.