Abstract

In Calderon’s La Dama Duende and El Galán Fantasma the main characters are presented in way that might lead other characters to believe that they are supernatural beings. This is not done as an intentional trick but, rather, as the result of the circumstances in which they must operate. This paper explores how the performance and dramatic elements, as well as cultural references, come together and cause this error in the perception of these characters, which becomes the propelling force of actions and entanglements.