Alarcón, Juan Ruiz de, 1581?-1639, Spanish dramatic poet, one of the great literary figures of the Spanish Golden Age, b. Mexico. After practicing law in Spain (1600-1608) and Mexico, he returned (1613) to Spain, where he obtained a minor government post. Like Molière, Alarcón was a comedic moralist; his comedies (2 vol., 1628-34) are notable for brilliant characterization and lively dialogue. Alarcón was a hunchback, and his carefully wrought plays reflect the stoic point of view that this circumstance compelled him to adopt. Best known is La Verdad Sospechosa [The Suspicious Truth], which was the model for Corneille's Le Menteur.