Female Patriotism in Zayas’s <i>Desengaños amorosos</i>

This article focuses on the representation of female patriotism in María de Zayas’s Desengaños amorosos (1647). Diverging from readings that emphasize the work’s courtly sensibilities, I highlight its affinity with classical Republican models of heroism and reflect on how these are amalgamated with Christian ideals. Countering the conventions of female decorum present in courtly discourses and the imposition of obedience and invisibility articulated in humanist wifely conduct manuals, Zayas constructs a spirited political imaginary in which women gain towering public notoriety. Combining scenes where heroines experience horrific suffering, with others in which they exhibit remarkable ethical agency and rhetorical empowerment, the novellas assign them a key role in the forging of a symbolic patria . As honoured protagonists of urban legend, they preside over an auspicious intertwining of the ritualized Civitas Dei and the dynamic Republican city. This article was published open access under a CC BY-NC-ND licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ .