The Art of Seduction (48 page)

wandering through a park in Madrid when he saw a woman in her early twenties getting out of a coach, followed by a two-year-old child and a nursemaid. The young woman was elegantly dressed, but what took Don Juan's breath away was her resemblance to a woman he had known nearly three years before. Surely she could not be the same person. The woman he had known, Cristeta Moreruela, was a showgirl in a second-rate theater.
For these two crimes
Tantalus was punished

She had been an orphan and was quite poor—her circumstances could not
with the ruin of his
have changed that much. He moved closer: the same beautiful face. And
kingdom and, after his
then he heard her voice. He was so shocked that he had to sit down: it was
death by Zeus's own hand,
with eternal torment in the

indeed the same woman.

company of I x i o n ,

Don Juan was an incorrigible seducer, whose conquests were innu-
Sisyphus, Tityus, the
merable and of every variety. But he remembered his affair with Cristeta
Danaids, and others. Now
quite clearly, because she had been so young—the most charming girl he
he hangs, perennially
consumed by thirst and

had ever met. He had seen her in the theater, had courted her assiduously,
hunger, from the bough of
and had managed to persuade her to take a trip with him to a seaside town.
a fruit tree which leans over
Although they had separate rooms, nothing could stop Don Juan: he made
a marshy lake. Its waves
lap against his waist, and

up a story about business troubles, gained her sympathy, and in a tender
sometimes reach his chin,
moment took advantage of her weakness. A few days later he left her, on
yet whenever he bends
the pretext that he had to attend to business. He believed he would never
down to drink, they slip
away, and nothing remains

see her again. Feeling a little guilty—a rare occurrence with him—he sent
but the black mud at his
her 5,000 pesetas, pretending he would eventually rejoin her. Instead he
feet; or, if he ever succeeds
went to Paris. He had only recently returned to Madrid.

in scooping up a handful of

water, it slips through his

As he sat and remembered all this, an idea troubled him: the child.
fingers before he can do
Could the boy possibly be his? If not, she must have married almost imme-
more than wet his cracked
diately after their affair. How could she do such a thing? She was obviously
lips, leaving him thirstier
wealthy now. Who could her husband be? Did he know her past? Mixed
than ever. The tree is laden
with pears, shining apples,

with his confusion was intense desire. She was so young and beautiful. Why
sweet figs, ripe olives and
had he given her up so easily? Somehow, even if she was married, he had to
pomegranates, which
get her back.

dangle against his

shoulders; but whenever he

Don Juan began to frequent the park every day. He saw her a few more
reaches for the luscious
times; their eyes met, but she pretended not to notice him. Tracing the
fruit, a gust of wind whirls
nursemaid during one of her errands, he struck up a conversation with her,
them out of his reach.
and asked her about her mistress's husband. She told him the man's name —ROBERT GRAVES,
THE GREEK

was Señor Martínez, and that he was away on an extended business trip; she
MYTHS,
VOLUME 2

also told him where Cristeta now lived. Don Juan gave her a note to give to
231

232
•
The Art of Seduction

Don Juan: Arminta, listen
her mistress. Then he strolled by Cristeta's house—a beautiful palace. His
to the truth
—
-for are not
worst suspicions were confirmed: she had married for money.
women friends of truth? I

Cristeta refused to see him. He persisted, sending more notes. Finally,
am a nobleman, heir to the

ancient family of the
to avoid a scene, she agreed to meet him, just once, in the park. He pre
Tenorios, the conquerors of
pared for the meeting carefully: seducing her again would be a delicate op
Seville. After the king, my
eration. But when he saw her coming toward him, in her beautiful clothes,
father is the most powerful

and considered man at
his emotions, and his lust, got the better of him. She could only belong to
court. . . . By chance I
him, never to another man, he told her. Cristeta took offense at this; obvi
happened on this road and
ously her present circumstances prevented even one more meeting. Still,
saw you. Love sometimes
beneath her coolness he could sense strong emotions. He begged to see her
behaves in a manner that

surprises even himself. . . .
again, but she left without promising anything. He sent her more letters,

•
Arminta: I don't know if
meanwhile wracking his brains trying to piece it all together: Who was this
what you're saying is truth
Señor Martínez? Why would he marry a showgirl? How could Cristeta be
or lying rhetoric. I am

married to Batricio,
wrested away from him?

everybody knows it. How

Finally Cristeta agreed to meet Don Juan one more time, in the theater,
can the marriage be
where he dared not risk a scandal. They took a box, where they could talk.
annulled, even if he

abandons me?
•
Don Juan:
She reassured him the child was not his. She said he only wanted her now
When the marriage is not
because she belonged to another, because he could not have her. No, he
consummated, whether by
said, he had changed; he would do anything to get her back. Disconcert
malice or deceit, it can be
annulled.
. . . •
Arminta:
ingly, at moments her eyes seemed to be flirting with him. But then she
You are right. But, God
seemed to be about to cry, and rested her head on his shoulder—only to
help me, won't you desert
get up immediately, as if realizing this was a mistake. This was their last
me the moment you have
meeting, she said, and quickly fled. Don Juan was beside himself. She was
separated me from my

husband?
. . . •
Don
playing with him; she was a coquette. He had only been claiming to have
Juan: Arminta, light of my
changed, but perhaps it was true: no woman had ever treated him this way
eyes, tomorrow your
before. He would never have allowed it.
beautiful feet will slip into

polished silver slippers with

For the next few nights Don Juan slept poorly. All he could think about
buttons of the purest gold.
was Cristeta. He had nightmares about killing her husband, about growing
And your alabaster throat
old and being alone. It was all too much. He had to leave town. He sent
will be imprisoned in

beautiful necklaces; on
her a goodbye note, and to his amazement, she replied: she wanted to see
your fingers, rings set with
him, she had something to tell him. By now he was too weak to resist. As
amethysts will shine like
she had requested, he met her on a bridge, at night. This time she made no
stars, and from your ears
effort to control herself: yes, she still loved Don Juan, and was ready to run
will da ngle orien tal pearls.

•
Arminta: I am yours.
away with him. But he should come to her house tomorrow, in broad day—TIRSO DE M O L I N A , light, and take her away. There could be no secrecy.

THE PLAYBOY OF SEVILLE,

Beside himself with joy, Don Juan agreed to her demands. The next day TRANSLATED BY ADRIENNE M.

he showed up at her palace at the appointed hour, and asked for Señora

M A N D L L , IN M A N D E L , ED.,

Martinez. There was no one there by that name, said the woman at the
THE THEATRE OF DON JUAN

door. Don Juan insisted: her name is Cristeta. Ah, Cristeta, the woman said: she lives in the back, with the other tenants. Confused, Don Juan went to the back of the palace. There he thought he saw her son, playing in the street in dirty clothes. But no, he said to himself, it must be some other
Now the serpent was more

subtle than any other wild

child. He came to Cristeta's door, and instead of her servant, Cristeta herself
creature that the LORD
opened it. He entered. It was the room of a poor person. Hanging on im
GOD had made. He said
provised racks, however, were Cristeta's elegant clothes. As if in a dream, he
to the woman, "Did God

say, 'You shall not cat of

sat down, dumbfounded, and listened as Cristeta revealed the truth.
Create Temptation • 233

She was not married, she had no child. Months after he had left her,
any tree of the garden'?"

she had realized that she had been the victim of a consummate seducer. She
And the woman said to the
serpent, "We may eat of

still loved Don Juan, but she was determined to turn the tables. Finding out
the fruit of the trees of the

through a mutual friend that he had returned to Madrid, she took the five
garden; but God said,
thousand pesetas he had sent her and bought expensive clothes. She bor
'You shall not eat of the
rowed a neighbor's child, asked the neighbor's cousin to play the child's
fruit of the tree which is in
the midst of the garden,

nursemaid, and rented a coach—all to create an elaborate fantasy that ex
neither shall you touch it,
isted only in his mind. Cristeta did not even have to lie: she never actually
lest you die.' " But the

said she was married or had a child. She knew that being unable to have her
serpent said to the woman,

"You will not die. For

would make him want her more than ever. It was the only way to seduce a
God knows that when you

man like him.

eat of it your eyes will be

Overwhelmed by the lengths she had gone to, and by the emotions she
opened, and you will be
like God, knowing good

had so skillfully stirred in him, Don Juan forgave Cristeta and offered to
and evil. " So when the
marry her. To his surprise, and perhaps to his relief, she politely declined.
woman saw that the tree

The moment they married, she said, his eyes would wander elsewhere.
was good for food, and that

it was a delight to the eyes,

Only if they stayed as they were could she maintain the upper hand. Don
and that the tree was to be

Juan had no choice but to agree.

desired to make one wise,

she took of its fruit and

ate; and she also gave some

to her husband, and he ate.

Interpretation.
Cristeta and Don Juan are characters in the novel
Dulce y

—GENESIS 3:1 , O L D TESTAMENT

Sabrosa (Sweet and Savory,
1891), by the Spanish writer Jacinto Octavio Picon. Most of Picon's work deals with male seducers and their feminine victims, a subject he studied and knew much about. Abandoned by Don Juan, and reflecting on his nature, Cristeta decided to kill two birds with
Thou strong seducer,

one stone: she would get revenge and get him back. But how could she
Opportunity.

lure such a man? The fruit once tasted, he no longer wanted it. What came —-JOHN DRYDEN

easily to him, or fell into his arms, held no allure for him. What would tempt Don Juan into desiring Cristeta again, into pursuing her, was the sense that she was already taken, that she was forbidden fruit. That was his
As he listened, Masetto
weakness—that was why he pursued virgins and married women, women

experienced such a longing

he was not supposed to have. To a man, she reasoned, the grass always
to go and stay with these

nuns that his whole body

seems greener somewhere else. She would make herself that distant, allur
tingled with excitement, for
ing object, just out of reach, tantalizing him, stirring up emotions he could
it was clear from what he

not control. He knew how charming and desirable she had once been to
had heard that he should

be able to achieve what he

him. The idea of possessing her again, and the pleasure he imagined it
had in mind. Realizing,

would bring, were too much for him: he swallowed the bait.

however, that he would get

Temptation is a twofold process. First you are coquettish, flirtatious;
nowhere by revealing his

intentions to Nuto, he

you stimulate a desire by promising pleasure and distraction from daily life.
replied:
•
" H o w right you

At the same time, you make it clear to your targets that they cannot have
were to come away from

you, at least not right away. You are establishing a barrier, some kind of
the
[
nunnery
]
! What sort
tension.

of a life can any man lead

when he's surrounded by a

In days gone by such barriers were easy to create, by taking advantage
lot of women? He might as

of preexisting social obstacles—of class, race, marriage, religion. Today the
well be living with a pack
barriers have to be more psychological: your heart is taken by someone
of devils. Why, six times

out oj seven they don't

else; you are really not interested in the target; some secret holds you back;
even know their own

the timing is bad; you are not good enough for the other person; the other
minds."
•
But when they

234
•
The Art of Seduction

had finished talking,
person is not good enough for you; and so on. Conversely, you can choose
Masetto began to consider
someone who has a built-in barrier: they are taken, they are not meant to
what steps he ought to take
want you. These barriers are more subtle than the social or religious variety,
so that he could go and

stay with them. Knowing
but they are barriers nevertheless, and the psychology remains the same.
himself to be perfectly
People are perversely excited by what they cannot or should not have.
capable of carrying out the
Create this inner conflict—there is excitement and interest, but you are
duties mentioned by Nuto,
unavailable—and you will have them grasping like Tantalus for water. And
he had no worries about

losing the job on that
as with Don Juan and Cristeta, the more you make your targets pursue you,
particular score, but he was
the more they imagine that it is they who are the aggressors. Your seduc
afraid lest he should be
tion is perfectly disguised.
turned down because of his

youth and his unusually

attractive appearance. And

The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it.

so, having rejected a

—OSCAR WILDE.

number of other possible

expedients, he eventually

thought to himself: "The

convent is a long way off,

Keys to Seduction

and there's nobody there

who knows me. If I can

pretend to be dumb, they'll

take me on for sure."

Clinging firmly to this
Most of the time, people struggle to maintain security and a sense of balance in their lives. If they were always uprooting themselves in pursuit of every new person or fantasy that passed them by, they could not
conjecture, he therefore

dressed himself in pauper's
survive the daily grind. They usually win the struggle, but it does not come
rags and slung an ax over
easy. The world is full of temptation. They read about people who have
his shoulder, and without
more than they do, about adventures others are having, about people who
telling anyone where he

was going, he set out for
have found wealth and happiness. The security that they strive for, and that
the convent. On his
they seem to have in their lives, is actually an illusion. It covers up a con
arrival, he wandered into
stant tension.
the courtyard, where as

As a seducer, you can never mistake people's appearance for reality. You
luck would have it he came

across the steward, and

know that their fight to keep order in their lives is exhausting, and that they
with the aid of gestures
are gnawed by doubts and regrets. It is hard to be good and virtuous, always
such as dumb people use,
having to repress the strongest desires. With that knowledge in mind, se
he conveyed the impression
that he was begging for
duction is easier. What people want is not temptation; temptation happens
something to eat, in return
every day. What people want is to give into temptation, to yield. That is the
for which he would attend

only way to get rid of the tension in their lives. It costs much more to resist
to any wood-chopping that

needed to be done.
•
The
temptation than to surrender.
steward gladly provided

Your task, then, is to create a temptation that is stronger than the daily
him with something to eat,
variety. It has to be focused on them, aimed at them as individuals—at their
after which he presented

him with a pile of logs that
weakness. Understand: everyone has a principal weakness, from which oth
Nuto had been unable to
ers stem. Find that childhood insecurity, that lack in their life, and you hold
chop. . . . Mow, when the
the key to tempting them. Their weakness may be greed, vanity, boredom,
steward had discovered
some deeply repressed desire, a hunger for forbidden fruit. They signal it in
what an excellent gardener

he was, he gestured to
little details that elude their conscious control: their style of clothing, an
Masetto, asking him

offhand comment. Their past, and particularly their past romances, will be
whether he would like to
littered with clues. Give them a potent temptation, tailored to their weak
stay there, and the latter
made signs to indicate that
ness, and you can make the hope of pleasure that you stir in them figure
he was willing to do
more prominently than the doubts and anxieties that accompany it.
whatever the steward

In 1621, King Philip III of Spain desperately wanted to forge an al-
Create Temptation • 235

liance with England by marrying his daughter to the son of the English
wanted.
. . . •
Now, one
king, James I. James seemed open to the idea, but he stalled for time.
day, when Masetto

Spain's ambassador to the English court, a man called Gondomar, was given
happened to he taking a

rest after a spell of

the task of advancing Philip's plan. He set his sights on the king's favorite,
strenuous work, he was
the Duke (former Earl) of Buckingham.

approached by two very

Gondomar knew the duke's main weakness: vanity. Buckingham hun-
young nuns who were out
walking in the garden.

gered for the glory and adventure that would add to his fame; he was bored
Since he gave them the

with his limited tasks, and he pouted and whined about this. The ambas-
impression that he was
sador first flattered him profusely—the duke was the ablest man in the
asleep, they began to stare
at him, and the bolder of

country and it was a shame he was given so little to do. Then, he began to
the two said to her

whisper to him of a great adventure. The duke, as Gondomar knew, was in
companion:
•
"If I could
favor of the match with the Spanish princess, but these damned marriage
be sure that you would
keep it a secret, I would

negotiations with King James were taking so long, and getting nowhere.
tell you about an idea that

What if the duke were to accompany the king's son, his good friend Prince
has often crossed my mind,
Charles, to Spain? Of course, this would have to be done in secret, without
and one that might well

guards or escorts, for the English government and its ministers would never
work out to our mutual
benefit."
•
"Do tell me,"

sanction such a trip. But that would make it all the more dangerous and ro
replied the other. "You can
mantic. Once in Madrid, the prince could throw himself at Princess

be quite certain that I

Maria's feet, declare his undying love, and carry her back to England in tri-
shan't talk about it to
anyone. "
•
The bold one

umph. What a chivalrous deed it would be and all for love. The duke
began to speak more

would get all the credit and it would make his name famous for centuries.
plainly.
•
"I wonder," she

The duke fell for the idea, and convinced Charles to go along; after
said, "whether you have
ever considered what a

much arguing, they also convinced a reluctant King James. The trip was a
strict life we have to lead,
near disaster (Charles would have had to convert to Catholicism to win
and how the only men who