Acceso usuarios
Estados Unidos
This article analyzes how the actor, author, and playwright Agustín de Rojas employs textual and mimetic imitation to fashion himself throughout El viaje entretenido, a dialogue with forty intercalated loas. Drawing on the concepts of language as a mode of costume, self-fashioning, and conscious emulation of predecessors, I examine how Rojas strategically imitates a wide range of literary and non-literary sources while mobilizing autobiographical and theatrical anecdotes to elevate his social status. I ponder how he fashions a protean identity that paradoxically recalls both a courtier and a pícaro. My analysis provides a model for considering broader questions of how authors fashion themselves in poetry, theater, and prose; it has wider implications for how we approach the topic of imitation in early modern Spain. A supplementary catalog with specific textual comparisons divided into various sections provides a guide for navigating Rojas's use of courtly erudition and may inspire future studies, an updated critical edition, or an English translation of this invaluable text.
