Quevedo / The Poet

Spanish poet Francisco Gómez de Quevedo was a real historical figure and one of the two protagonists in the fictional tennis match created by the author. During sections concerning the tennis match he is referred to as the poet or the Spaniard and in historical sections he is referred to as Quevedo. The reader’s attitude towards Quevedo evolves dramatically over the course of the novel. The opening chapter is told from the poet’s perspective, inclining the reader to empathize with his character and root for him in the tennis match, especially when it transpires that it is not an even contest: the artist is a skilled tennis player and the poet has a handicapped leg that puts him at a disadvantage. Slowly, however, the events leading up to the tennis match are revealed and the reader discovers that the poet challenged the artist...