La idea de que Lope de Vega proyecta en sus personajes diferentes modos de ser espaol en su poca ha sido un lugar comn en la crtica literaria a lo largo de todo el siglo XX. Sin embargo, pocos investigadores han prestado atencin a la correlacin entre la imagen de Espaa y de los espaoles que construye el dramaturgo en sus comedias y el proceso de la formacin de una conciencia nacional en la Espaa de principios del siglo XVII. Este proyectplora el papel del teatro lopesco en la construccin del 'yo' colectivo nacional. Se analizan la imagen de Espaa y de los espaoles creada por Lope mediante una constante manipulacin de la historia patria, as como los posiblesefectos de la propagacin de esta imagen durante el siglo XVII. Dentro de este marco, se examina la manera en que Lope aborda los temas relacionados con ciertos conceptos claves para la elaboracin de los supuestos ideales nacionales, como la monarqua, la religin, la jerarqua social y el imperio. Veronika Ryjik es Assistant Professor of Spanish, Franklin & Marshall College. The idea that Lope de Vega portrayed in his characters different modes of being Spanish in his time has been a commonplace in literary criticism throughout the twentieth century. However, few researchers have looked at the correlation between the image of Spain and the Spanish thatthe playwright constructs in his plays and the process of forming a national consciousness in Spain in the early seventeenth century. This book explores the role of Lope's plays in the construction of a collective national 'I'. It analyzes the image of Spain and the Spanish created by Lope through constant manipulation of national history, as well as the possible effects of the spread of this image during the seventeenth century. Within this framework, the book examines the way in which Lope addresses issues related to certain key concepts in the development of supposedly national ideals, such as monarchy, religion, social hierarchy and empire. Veronika Ryjik is Assistant Professor of Spanish, Franklin & Marshall College