Unas adivinanzas españolas de Lope de Vega: estudio de una fórmula cómica en la Jerusalén conquistada (1609) y La doncella Teodor (c. 1608-1610)

Abstract: This article examines a passage in a play by Lope de Vega, La doncella Teodor, in which the Spanish gracioso, Padilla, challenges the protagonist to some funny riddles that she solves, all in the presence of the sultan. In particular, we analyze the episode in relation to some verses in Lope’s Jerusalén conquistada (1609), book XV, also starring a Spaniard and a sultan (this time, Saladin). After a brief state of the art, we study La doncella Teodor’s riddles and compare them to those in the Jerusalén, examining their respective function and pondering upon the pertinence of this textual echo to solve problems such as the play’s chronology, and to underline certain aspects of Lope’s usus scribendi.