his belly, a place to stay, and being on good terms with all that came to be in the dinner party by the end of the story. The student had been in such a poor condition when we first meet him because he was traveling to Rome with his uncle but his uncle died during the trip when they were in the middle of France. Now, all he wants to do his return to his land. It is possible that Cervantes uses this character to insert certain autobiographical elements. Also, it is notable that this is the character that inspired the title of the entremés, as the cave of Salamanca is the alleged location from which he received his unworldly knowledge. Reponce: He is also referred to in the play by his employment title of sacristán, or sexton. Though a church official, he is also Leonarda's lover. His character is often interpreted as a symbol of anti-clericalism (Ezquerro 47). Nicolás: Another one of the men who Leonarda invites to the house when her husband is away. He is a barber and Cristina's lover. Leoniso: Pancracio's travel companion and friend Principal themes Deception Connection between adultery and witchcraft Metatheatre Salamanca and the works of Cervantes In the work, the student refers to himself using the adjective salamantino. This adjective is a direct reference to his origins in Salamanca. Leonarda however uses the adjective salamanqueso. This is a play on words. A salamanqueso is a salamander which, according to legend, lives in fire. According to alchemists, the salamander is in fact the spirit of fire. To many in Latin America, this animal is associated with witchcraft (Ezquerro 50). La cueva de Salamanca is not Cervantes' only work that touches on Spanish superstition surrounding Salamanca. In his short story called El licenciado vidriera, about a lawyer who was given a potion by a woman with the hopes that he would fall in love with her but subsequently is convinced that he is made of glass, the main character is an orphan with unknown origins who studies in Salamanca and later returns to the city to meet the woman who would alter his future. Intertextuality Intertextuality, or the relationships between texts, that exists in La cueva de Salamanca includes relationships with other works of Cervantes including El licenciado vidriera and El viejo celoso. As discussed previously, El licenciado vidriera references the location of la