Pierre Corneille's Le Cid

Pierre Corneille's Le Cid focuses on a legendary hero of the twelfth century Spain, and his feats of heroism, rivalry, and honour. It is Corneille's opinion that dramatic poetry is a portrayal of the actions of men, that is to say, his writing was intended to depict, or imitate the actions of men. But a more pervading definition that is evident in the play, is that man's actions are the result of fate, not of man's own will or action. It seems that Corneille's primary function is to demonstrate man's emotion defined by their actions. It would be more accurate to say that the emotion acted out by the characters demonstrate that man's actions are more the result of circumstance. Each character finds themselves in a situation that is out of their control, but is to be decided upon by fate. This fate takes many forms in Le Cid. Chimene cannot know the course of her future until it is determined by a duel. Don Diego can only hope that fate rules in his favor, so that Rodrigo will win the duel against Don Gomez in order to avenge his name. Ultimately, it is the fate of Don Gomez to die at the hands of Rodrigo. The Infanta stifles her passions for Rodrigo because fate has delivered a circumstance out of her control. It is fate that allows Rodrigo's army to defeat the Moors, thus allowing him the reward of relating his victory to the King. Corneille's vision is pessimistic of the human condition, where a person is a victim of themselves and their impulses. In fact, instead of the notion that dramatic poetry is a portrayal of man's actions, it is actually a portrayal of man's emotions resulting from powerlessness and vulnerablility. It seems that the play focuses on human will, the will striving for freedom, and the fashioning of one's own destiny. It is my opinion that in this play, humans are depicted as helpless victims of fate, opposed to the deliberate actions of men.

The characters of Le Cid are not in control of their actions, but instead are forced into most of their decisions in the name of honour and respect.. Most of the actions of Chimene are blindly following the dictates of duty. Reputation, and public image is what forces her decisions, not her true feelings of love for Rodrigo. Only in the end of the play, (when the king urges her to pardon Rodrigo for killing her father, leaving her a years grace before she marries him in accordance with the terms of the duel), does she have any say in her destiny. In view of the differences of the social status between Rodrigo and the Infanta, it appears that she deliberately steers Chimene towards Rodrigo despite her own love for him. Though in reality, it is not a deliberate act but a forced decision, because fate will not allow her to pursue him. It is Don Diego's will to have his son fight to avenge his name. To request this of Rodrigo is a mere hope that he could defeat an older and wiser opponent. Don Diego's honour depends upon chance that Rodrigo is able to pull off a victory. In summary, a man's action is the result of his desire to do something. So for Corneille to say that dramatic poetry is an imitation, or a portrait of man's actions, in the case of Le Cid, the characters are not imitating their own desires, but are succumbing to the dictates of societies expectations, and law. They are forced into an internal struggle with themselves because they are not free to pursue their own wishes, they are bound by fate.

In examining some major themes of the play, honour, individual heroism, and the deed of love, surfaces as the most dominant. These three themes give evidence to the fact that the human condition is