Magnificent Bastard: Tristan is Teodoro's roguish and snarky but devoted servant. After Teodoro falls in love with Countess Diana but can't have a relationship with her due to their different social standing, Tristan poses as a Greek merchant and convinces an elderly, lonely nobleman that Teodoro is his long-lost son, thus making sure Teodoro and Diana can marry. Meanwhile, Diana's aristocratic suitors Federico and Ricardo decide to kill their lucky rival, and Tristan, whom they try to hire for the job, quickly realizes what they are up to and successfully pretends to be a hitman, simultaneously saving Teodoro's life and swindling Federico and Ricardo out of more than a thousand gold pieces. He never answers for either of his cons, and by the end of the play he is only showered with more rewards for his ingenuity, with Teodoro privately declaring that Deceit itself should build a monument to Tristan.
Older Than They Think: Most of Spaniards believe that the popular saying "El perro del hortelano, que ni come ni deja comer" (The dog in the manger, which neither eats nor allows others to eat, referring to petty people who will refuse to enjoy things and let others enjoy them) originated from this play, but it is several centuries older, appearing documented in the early eleventh century's Arabic-Andalusian literature.
Magnificent Bastard: Tristan has all the ingenuity of his original counterpart and then some. As his lowborn master Teodoro has fallen in love with Countess Diana, Tristan dresses up as a Greek merchant and tricks an elderly nobleman into thinking Teodoro is his long-lost son, so that Teodoro can marry Diana. When Tristan sees Diana's aristocratic suitors, previously bitter rivals, talking about something, he eavesdrops on them and learns they plan to get Teodoro killed. Putting on an Eyepatch of Power and pretending to win a several-on-one fight, Tristan makes sure they hire him as a hitman and swindles them out of more than 1,100 escudos. A charming Deadpan Snarker with a fondness for hammy bawdy songs, Tristan never answers for his cons and remains very popular in Diana's household.
