Fuenteovejuna: A Dual-Language Book

I used Fuenteovejuna as a textbook in my spanish-language theatre class. Even though it was for school and not my own choice, this is an excellent book. It talks a bit about Lope de Vega's (interesting) life, and has a verse translation. The one thing I would say is that don't expect the translation to be word-for-word. Since the original text is in verse, they translated it in verse for staging purposes. But it is an excellent translation. The spanish version is on the left side and english on the right, so as you are reading it you can simply look over if you are unsure of the translation of something. As far as the play itself, it is a very entertaining play and an inspiring story. In small sections, we staged the whole play and it was very entertaining to watch and perform. This is a classic from Spain's "golden age" and should not be passed up!

Lope de Vega trazo en Fuente Ovejuna, con magnifica intuicion y voluntad artistica, una de sus comedias mas complejas. La colectividad, depositaria del derecho de resistencia si la jerarquia pierde su legitimidad, hace uso de aquel y restablece el orden. En una primera accion intrahistorica el Comendador es tirano y lascivo con sus vasallos; en la segunda accion, historica, quebranta el orden politico inspirando la toma de Ciudad Real en contra del Rey. Es un elemento desestabilazador que debrea ser eliminando para restableer la armonia. Uniendo estos elementos argumentales, un conflicto amoroso, en la tradicion del ideal platonico. El author plantea el tema segun las categorias mentales de la epocha, en que lo socipolitico esta imbricado en lo metafisico. --- from book's back cover

This is an excellent and accessible play from one of Spain's great playwrights from the Golden Age. Democracy and human rights triumph in this archetypal tale of a real-life event from the late 15th Century, written at the start of the 17th Century by the prolific Lope de Vega. The townspeople of modern Fuente Obejuna in the province of Cordoba - the spelling of the town's name has changed since the times of the play - now stage a popular version of the work in the town plaza in the summertime.