The tyrant of Holland: William of Orange in the Spanish Golden Age discourse on the Dutch Revolt

Abstract

Since the outbreak of the Dutch Revolt, William of Orange fulfilled a specific role in Spanish discourse, comparable to that of the Duke of Alba in the Low Countries. These historical figures were considered as tyrants in these opposing ‘national’ discourses. In Spain, the figure of William of Orange was shaped mainly in historical contemporary sources, such as war chronicles and relaciones, but Golden Age theatre also presented him on stage, although less frequently. Lo que toca al valor y Príncipe de Orange, a play attributed to Mira de Amescua, is an exceptional example of the way William of Orange was portrayed during the final stage of the Guerras de Flandes. Amescua’s characterization of Orange is not arbitrary or solely based on poetic freedom. The vices and negative traits Amescua uses in his play to characterize the prince of Orange are not merely a reflection of old existing images linked to this rebellious nobleman, but the author also makes use of a wider array of general images of the Dutch enemy in circulation within Spain from the outbreak of the conflict in the Low Countries. Mira de Amescua’s play thus offers a perfect example of the close interaction and permeability between historiographical and literary genres in Golden Age discourse.