_=Señora ama and La malquerida.=_--To the period now being discussed belong the two most striking (from the point of view of tendencies) of Benavente's latter-day achievements, _Señora ama_ and _La malquerida_. They carry us to rural districts and plunge us into an inferno of ignorance, corruption, and vice. The author of these tragic histories has no illusions about the innocence of the country. Benavente is reported to have said that he liked _Señora ama_ better than any other of his plays. The verdict of public and critics has been in favor of the companion piece. One critic, in particular, has used _La malquerida_ as an argument to place Benavente among the really great masters of the world's literature.[i.11] _La malquerida_ is a tragedy with a unified plot; the end of each act forms a climax, while the whole leads to a final crisis. A drama with the plot hinging upon a complicated series of incidents was about the only thing lacking to round out Benavente's _teatro_. It may now be claimed that he has cultivated with success practically every variety of composition that might reasonably be attempted in modern times for a modern audience. =Analysis.=--The scene of _La malquerida_ is laid among country people in fairly easy circumstances. Raimunda, the leading female character, is married to Esteban.[i.12] She has a daughter, Acacia, from a former marriage, and one of her chief desires is that her husband and daughter be on good terms. To her disappointment, Acacia ever since childhood has shown an aversion toward her stepfather, too strong to be overcome by Esteban's kindness and by the many presents that he has brought to her upon various occasions. At the time of the opening scene of the play, Acacia is betrothed to Faustino, son of a neighboring farmer, Eusebio. She had previously been engaged to her cousin, Norberto, but the engagement had been broken for no obvious reason. One night, just after a visit in company with his father to the house of his fiancée, Faustino is murdered; shortly afterwards the first act ends.