«¡Viva la señora!»: La evolución creativa y pasos hacia el futuro en el drama de Doña Perfecta (1896) [“Long live the mistress!”: creative processes and steps towards the future in the play version of Doña Perfecta (1896)]

This article focusses on the female characters of the play version of Doña Perfecta (particularly Doña Perfecta, María Remedios and Rosario). I examine how they have evolved from the novel, where, according to some, they were presented as “good” or “evil”. I claim that they are more complex in the play version, where they invite us to reflect on various themes. As I argue, comparing the two versions (the novel and the play), alongside the manuscript of the play enables us to gain a deeper insight into Galdós’s creative process and appreciate the impact of his tendency to reconsider previous work and not only revisit his characters, but change the focus and encourage us to reflect on the situation of both men and women in nineteenth-century Spanish society.