Le Cid Response

Le Cid Corneille

The playwright of Le Cid is one written by Corneille sometime before 1636 when it was first performed in France. This was his first play that became a popular hit with the people of France as well as with the King Louis XIII. This play was so well appreciated it was used as a base for many other plays to follow. This play is based on the deeds of a Spanish soldier El Cid. The play relates to Le Cid having to challenge Le Cid's future father in-law to a duel. He is stuck with a dilemma because if he does not set the challenge then he and his father will be dishonored, but if he does he will lose the love of his future bride. The play is based on him solving the dilemma.

This story I would say is just a story of two lovers and the conflict of love and honor. I would agree with this because throughout the entire play the two main themes are these two in which they go to and they discuss these. There can be other topics found throughout this play that may be considered themes. The main theme though between those two I would think that honor is a lot more re-occurring then love because honor is the basis of it all because if his father was dishonored then he himself would have been dishonored as well. Honor at this time of history was a lot more important than love was. That is something that can be proven by King Henry VIII who founded his own branch of religion so he could get a divorce so he would be able to produce a male heir to his thrown. This is just one example of how honor was more important than love, because King Henry VIII would much rather have a male heir than be with a woman that he loves because he feels the honor of the kingship is much more important.

This story sounds familiar because it was one of the plays that changed the way that dramatic plays were written at these times. The play was so well appreciated that other