| "The Lawyer of Glass" | |
|---|---|
| Short story by Miguel de Cervantes | |
| Original title | El licenciado Vidriera |
| Country | Spain |
| Language | Spanish |
| Publication | |
"El licenciado Vidriera" ("The Lawyer of Glass" or "The Glass Graduate"[1]) is a short story written by Miguel de Cervantes and included in his Novelas ejemplares, first published in 1613. In the story, a young scholar goes mad, believing himself to be made entirely of glass, and becomes famous for his satirical comments on the society around him. He eventually becomes cured and leaves his scholar's life to join the army, dying in battle.
The tale is commonly considered the most difficult story to interpret in its collection.[2] Scholars have variously seen it as a comment on "scholars' melancholy",[2] a collection of aphorisms,[3] a warning on the dangers of social hypocrisies,[3] a case study of strychnine poisoning,[4] or a comment on the futility of satire itself.[1] The term "licenciado vidriera" has entered the Spanish language as meaning one excessively timid or delicate.[5]
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