Lope de Vega's exemplary early comedy, Los 'locos de Valencia'

This paper argues that Lope de Vega's early comedy Los locos de Valencia is far from the "capricho juvenil" as scholars have seen it. The play has bee n unfavourably treated or ignored by Lope critics as part of the general de nigration and neglect of the dramatist's early works, particularly those wr itten in a comic vein. I argue that a careful scrutiny of the play-urged on its readers by Lope in its dedication, written some thirty years after the play itself-reveals the sophistication of its vision. In particular, schol ars have failed to notice/stress the play's dependence on Ariosto's Renaiss ance epic Orlando Furioso, misread its theme (as locura de amor) along with its genre, and failed to notice its poetics and implicit defence of the ne w art of writing plays of the time. Los locos de Valencia is an accomplishe d early work with a venomous bite which gives the lie to the commonplace th at as a young dramatist Lope's purpose was merely to entertain, and that hi s early works lack erudition and depth.