Unstained Cleaning

Unstained Cleaning (La limpieza no manchada) by Félix Lope de Vega is a theological comedy commissioned by the University of Salamanca and premiered on October 29, 1618. The play, with a rich intellectual and religious heritage, delves into theological debates that were central to the university where it originated.
The core of the work is a specific theological controversy: the defense of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. By tackling this delicate and highly debated topic, Lope de Vega not only presents a theological argument but also creates a forum for moral and spiritual discussion that transcends the mere plot of the play.
What is particularly impressive is how Lope de Vega is able to use the genre of comedy to address such serious and profound topics. This demonstrates his mastery in the dramatic arts, as he manages to balance the tone of the play to maintain the audience’s interest while unfolding complex theological arguments. Comedy here serves not only to entertain but also to illuminate and reflect.
While the subject matter could run the risk of being too specialized or esoteric for the general public, Lope de Vega handles it with such skill that he makes it accessible. In doing so, he elevates the discussion from academic classrooms to a public stage, giving the controversy new life and relevance.
The premiere of the play in the Patio de Escuelas of the University of Salamanca adds an additional layer of meaning, making it both an academic and artistic event. By doing so, Lope de Vega not only pays tribute to the institution that commissioned the work but also contextualizes it within the academic and religious space that inspired it.
Unstained Cleaning is a work that challenges the conventions of the genre and format, offering a deep insight into the theological debates of its time. It is both a work of art and a historical and theological document, making it essential reading for anyone interested in Spain’s Golden Age and the religious debates that characterized it.

Day one

(Stillness and Doubt come out.)

Stillness: Get out of the house, let’s finish,
and stop replying.

Doubt: Since you want to throw me out,
Do not throw me out making extremes.
What did I do to you, that you cast me out?
of your home?

Stillness: And is it little?
bring me to crazy questions?

Doubt: If you give me the chance!

Stillness: Do I the occasion?

Doubt: You, Stillness.

Stillness: Doubt, let’s shorten reasons;
that this walk in questions
My health does not suffer.
I don’t want you in my house;
The world is long.

Doubt: Already in man
I have been transformed; that the name,
Sure for all happens.
How bad I think I could
Living Woman and Naked
of defense, although I am doubtful,
where there was none of me.

Stillness: For if in man transformed,
safe you go for everything,
Leave me here.

Doubt: That way
Do you send me without giving me anything?
The Wise Men Who Despised
the world, all they had,
as case dhe did not,
Nothing they carried.
Such, in the sea, of his hand,
he threw his farm to the fish;
such, he sometimes despised
the gold of some, tyrant.

Stillness: As naked as you come,
some wise man walked,
and in taking himself he carried
I get all your goods,
Diogenes laughed
of Alexander, and esteemed
plus the disdain he showed,
than the favor I did him.

Fragment of the work