Published in 1630, Tirso de Molinas El Burlador de Sevilla represents one of the earliest and most influential tellings of the Don Juan myth. Its author, a friar writing during the rigors of the Counter Reformation, takes a significantly darker view of his main character than did, say, Mozart. For Tirso de Molina, the escapades of Don Juan result from a deep-seated cruelty and pride, and his refusal to acknowledge a power higher than his own will make eternal punishment his inevitable fate. The moral lessons of this masterwork of Golden Age theater are both stern and powerfully drawn. Nonetheless, with the skills of a consummate dramatist, Tirso was able to highlight his message with all the color and romance of the Spanish court and with a humor that ranges from subtle witticisms to bellylaughs. With this rich blend of elements, the play has enjoyed continuous esteem and popularity over the centuries, and Don Juan, its protagonist, has justly taken his place along with Faust, Hamlet, and Don Quijote as one of the great figures of Western and world literature. This edition of El burlador de Seville is a special prose adaptation for Spanish-language students at the intermediate level and beyond. Numerous vocabulary and cultural notes facilitate reading. In addition, archaic language has been modernized and difficult construction simplified. This adaptation reproduces all the key sections of the original play, so that students will miss none of the scenes that have moved both readers and theatergoers for over three and a half centuries. - Cover.