Benavente is a peculiarly natural product of the stage. No one could give himself more whole-heartedly to his profession than he has done. He is interested in all theatrical matters: in the writing and presentation of plays, in actors, in the Madrid public which he praises and censures in turn, in the history and criticism of the drama, in aesthetic principles, in the relation between good art and financial success; in short, no detail escapes his notice. He likes to work with his audiences, to please and to amuse them, yet he does not lose sight of the serious mission of the drama. No outside interests have ever taken him for any considerable time from his true vocation. He is an excellent and well-rounded, but at the same time a delightfully spontaneous product of Spanish dramatic art. =Minor Works.=--We are informed in the interview already mentioned that Benavente was forced to write several plays before he composed one that was accepted. In characteristically ironical style he asserts that it was not hard for him to gain a hearing, because his father was the physician of the theatrical manager to whom he made application. His earliest models, according to his own statement, were Shakespeare and Echegaray. Veneration for the great English dramatist is apparent in Benavente's entire career. The influence is perhaps most directly seen in the _Teatro fantástico_, the first in date of his published writings (1892). Short sketches and prose dialogues are contained in two other early volumes, _Figulinas_ and _Vilanos_. A fourth book containing youthful writings and entitled _Cartas de mujeres_ is a series of letters meant to illustrate the thoughts and the epistolary style of women. These letters have been much praised in Spain for their literary workmanship and for their insight into the feminine heart, a faculty which has always been considered one of the clearest manifestations of Benavente's genius.[i.3] Other productions distinct from the central body of Benavente's dramatic works (the _Teatro_) are _De sobremesa_ and the _Teatro del pueblo_. The former, a collection in five volumes of weekly articles composed for _Los lunes_ of _El Imparcial_ (1908-1912), is the principal source for its author's views on dramatic criticism and on worldly affairs in general. The _Teatro del pueblo_ is a series of papers on subjects connected with the stage. Both these productions will be discussed after a review of the plays. =List of Plays.=--The following titles are encountered, in the order here followed, in the twenty-two volumes of the _Teatro_. The date of the _estreno_ (first performance) and a brief description are given with each title.[i.4]