"The Star of Seville" is frequently cited as the best example of the Spanish honor play, a form popular during that country's Golden Age of drama and related to similar productions in France and England during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Sancho IV, king of Castile, is delighted with his welcome to Seville, and he is especially charmed by a black-haired beauty he catches sight of on a balcony. The alcaldes of the city identify her as Estrella Tabera, the Star of Seville. King Sancho whispers orders to his confidant, Arias, telling him to arrange for the monarch to visit Estrella the next evening. He also sends for Estrella's brother, Don Bustos Tabera, in the hope of winning his agreement to the royal suit. Felix Lope de Vega y Carpio (25 November 1562 - 27 August 1635) was a Spanish playwright and poet. He was one of the key figures in the Spanish Golden Century of Baroque literature. His reputation in the world of Spanish literature is second only to that of Cervantes, while the sheer volume of his literary output is unequalled, making him one of the most prolific authors in the history of literature."