A House with Two Doors Is Difficult to Guard

Pedro Calderón de la Barca

A Comedia de capa y espada wr. 1629.

Don Félix, whose friend Lisardo is staying with him, hides his sister Marcela so that Lisardo will not know of her presence. However, Marcela has been meeting Lisardo outside the house, although he does not know who she is.

Marcela now arranges to meet Lisardo in the house of a friend, Laura, who is Félix's beloved. Both houses have two doors (front and side), and as one character comes in one door, another leaves by the other. After a series of comings and goings, Félix is convinced that Lisardo is after Laura, and Lisardo believes that Marcela is Félix's mistress. Laura finally explains everything, and the two couples are happily and correctly paired.