No habrá rey sin reina: Gender Discourse in Isabel, A Contemporary Representation of Queen Isabel I of Castile and King Fernando II of Aragon

By examining the figures of the Catholic Monarchs -Isabel and Fernando- in the popular television show Isabel, this research demonstrates how the historical fiction genre tends to privilege the stories of exceptional women and the men surrounding them. Unlike other historical fiction shows where the emphasis is placed on the empowerment of a single female character, Isabel emphasizes the mutual empowerment and equitable dynamic between a woman and a man. In an era when gender roles and prejudice were particularly strict, Fernando and Isabel enter into marriage with diametrically opposed notions of gender roles. However, when they begin ruling and sharing political responsibilities, the gender perspectives of both characters adapt to produce an equitable gender dynamic. The present study utilizes content analysis both quantitatively and qualitatively to analyze the representations of gender content incidents in Isabel. The incidents analyzed pertain to the spouse and monarch facets of both Isabel and Fernando\u27s characters