Calderon: Jealousy the Greatest Monster
As the title indicates, Pedro Calderon de la Barca's Jealousy tragically dramatizes the same key themes and emotions that preoccupied Shakespeare in Othello. His portrayal of the mind and passion of King Herod, a ruler traditionally vilified in Catholic Spain during Calderon's age, reveals a compassionate understanding and lack of prejudice. Through the madness of possessive love and jealousy, Herod first destroys his wife's love and trust, and then her life.