3. Jacinto Benavente Playwright, screenwriter, and film producer, Jacinto Benavente (1866-1954) belonged to the Generation of '98. He began studying law at the Universidad Central de Madrid,..
but abandoned his studies to dedicate himself to traveling around Europe and exploring the literature of other authors, as his financial circumstances permitted.
Benavente began publishing in 1893 and, since then, developed a prolific literary career, writing one hundred and seventy-two works. He joined the Royal Spanish Academy of Language in 1912 and was elected to the Congress of Deputies in 1918.
Benavente survived the Civil War between Madrid and Valencia, and afterward, his works were censored for a period due to his sexual orientation. He was a theater critic for El Imparcial and adapted several of his plays for film. He was also a circus entrepreneur. He was the author of poems and short stories, but especially plays, in all genres—tragedy, comedy, drama, and farce—and in all social settings. In 1922, he won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
