La malquerida

work by Benavente y Martínez

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 30, 2026

Quick Summary

La malquerida is a rural tragedy written by Jacinto Benavente y Martínez, first performed in 1913. It was his most successful play in Spain and the Americas. The play explores the theme of incest. Benavente was a prominent Spanish dramatist of the 20th century, awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1922 for his return to realistic drama through social criticism. He replaced declamatory verse with prose, melodrama with comedy, and impulsive action with dialogue, focusing on the play of minds.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Jacinto Benavente y Martínez
…Saturday Night, performed 1926); and La malquerida (1913; “The Passion Flower”), a rural tragedy with the theme of incest. La malquerida was his most successful play in Spain and in North and South America. Señora Ama (1908), said to be his own favourite play, is an idyllic comedy set among…
Read More
…Saturday Night, performed 1926); and La malquerida (1913; “The Passion Flower”), a rural tragedy with the theme of incest. La malquerida was his most successful play in Spain and in North and South America. Señora Ama (1908), said to be his own favourite play, is an idyllic comedy set among…
Read More