Pablo de Segovia, the Spanish Sharper · Chapters

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Chapter companions for Pablo de Segovia, the Spanish Sharper by Francisco de Quevedo.

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Chapter 1
Quevedo and His Works
This chapter provides an extensive critical introduction to Francisco de Quevedo and his picaresque novel 'Paul the Sharper' (Don Pablo de Segovia). It discusses the nature of the picaresque genre, the character of the picaro, and the social and historical conditions in 16th-century Spain that gave rise to such literature. The author praises Quevedo's art in presenting the rogue Don Pablo without sentimentality or moralizing, as a pure picaro who never deviates into respectability. The chapter also surveys Quevedo's life, his vast and varied literary output, and his place as a major figure in Spain's Golden Age.
Chapter 2
Pablo de Segovia, the Spanish Sharper
The chapter introduces the protagonist, Pablo de Segovia, and his family background, including his father's profession as a barber and thief, and his mother's dubious lineage. It sets the stage for Pablo's early life and education, leading to his eventual departure for school.
Chapter 3
Book I
The first book introduces the protagonist Pablo de Segovia, recounting his birth and family background. His father is a barber-thief, his mother a witch and procuress, and his brother dies in prison. Pablo is sent to school, then to a boarding school under the miserly Master Cabra, where he suffers extreme hunger. After his father is executed and his mother imprisoned, Pablo leaves Alcalá for Segovia, meeting a mad fencing master and an old poet along the way. He arrives at his uncle Alonso Ramplón's house, but after a series of misadventures, including a flight from Segovia, he travels to Madrid. There, he encounters a gentleman who tells him about life at court.
Chapter 4
I
Pablo arrives in Madrid with Don Toribio and meets a group of impoverished, cunning rogues who survive through elaborate deceptions and shared misery. He observes their tricks—such as collecting money under false pretenses, hiding tattered clothes, and impersonating soldiers—and learns the art of sponging.
Chapter 5
II
Pablo continues his initiation into the brotherhood of beggars and tricksters in Madrid. He observes their morning rituals of patching clothes, is outfitted in a makeshift suit from their communal wardrobe, and is assigned his 'walk' (territory) for begging. His mentor teaches him tricks to avoid creditors, including disguises and lies. Pablo struggles with hunger, eventually contrives to invite himself to dinner at the home of an old acquaintance, the licentiate Flechilla, and gorges himself.

Quevedo and His Works

Pablo de Segovia, the Spanish Sharper

Book I

I

II