Agustín Moreto biography

Agustín Moreto
At Writers Theatre: Spite for Spite

Agustín Moreto was born on April 9, 1618 in Madrid, Spain. Moreto was an extremely popular playwright and, in his time, was considered the equal of his contemporary Lope de Vega. He studied law at the University of Alcalá and then returned to Madrid, where he began to write for the stage. Beginning in 1640, his plays were being produced with regularity. However, the clergy turned against the practices of the Spanish Theatre, and, in 1644, the Royal Council instituted a series of strict reforms: reducing the number of dramatic companies, restricting costuming, and imposing a strict censorship. Finally, no comedies were to be played unless they were of an historical nature, or delt with the lives of the saints. Over the course of his career, Moreto wrote more than 100 plays. Towards the end of his life he took minor orders and entered a monastery in 1659 (as did many writers of his time). He died in October of 1669.

[Bio as of October 2000]