“The instant the storyteller mentioned don Fernando, Cardenio’s face changed color and he broke into a sweat with such agitation….But Cardenio only sweated and remained still, staring at the peasant girl, suspecting who she was.” (Chapter 28)

In the recent chapters, a drama has been unfolding slowly. Cardenio found out about what really happened with don Fernando through Dorotea view. He was able to connect his story with hers and they realized that they were part of the same story. As touched upon in class, narratives were littered throughout the chapters, and their story is just one of them told in several different perspectives.

I have now heard this story from both characters that were betrayed by their lovers and I have to say, I was quite interested in how this would turn out. I expected that the two, Don Fernando and Luscinda, would turn up in front of the others and I was excited to read about what they would do. From Dorotea, we knew that Luscinda still loved Cardenio (“….in Luscinda’s own handwriting in which she said and declared that she couldn’t be don Fernando’s wife because she was already married to Cardenio” (Chapter 28)).

Then, they met up again. All four met up in one room in such amazement and confusion. I found this cliché. The couples rightfully returned to the ones they first loved. “Cardenio had Luscinda in his embrace” (Chapter 36) before don Fernando realized what had fully happened and he got angry, but Dorotea stopped him. She changed don Fernando’s heart: “he [don Fernando] embraced her again and pressed his face to hers with such tenderness that he needed to be careful, lest his tears give sure signs of his love and repentance” (Chapter 36).

Although I’m glad that the couples returned to their original lovers, I didn’t enjoy how it happened. I guess that it was meant to be fate that brought them all to the same inn, but I wish there had been a bit more to the return of normalcy. Another thing I didn’t quite understand is that Dorotea accepted don Fernando very easily. He had betrayed her to marry another, but she took him back faster than he did her. I wish she stood her ground a bit more.

Thinking about what could’ve actually happened, this may have been the least violent way the couples could have reunited. There was mention of a sword (*ahem don Fernando), but they were able to keep it mostly civil. I’m glad there wasn’t any violence between anyone. Cardenio and Dorotea wanted revenge, but after connecting their two stories and meeting with their lovers, I guess that wish of revenge slowly disappeared, leaving only desire to reunite.

In my opinion, the couples staying at the inn after all the drama unfolding may not have been the best idea, but it works out. I would have thought that they would want to be alone for a bit, but they all stay with the others in the inn. It doesn’t matter though, cause now they are reunited and will, hopefully, stay together for the rest of their lives.