Le Cid is a five-act French tragicomedy written by Pierre Corneille, first performed in December 1636 (or January 1637, according to some sources) at the Théâtre du Marais in Paris and published the same year. It is based on Guillén de Castro's play Las Mocedades del Cid (1618), which itself draws on the legend of the Spanish warrior Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (c. 1043–1099), known as El Cid.
Background and Sources
The historical figure Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar was a Castilian nobleman and military leader who fought for both Christian and Muslim rulers. The name "El Cid" derives from the Arabic word sayyid (lord). Corneille's play adapts the Spanish source material, adding a French article to the title. The play was the subject of a heated literary controversy known as the Querelle du Cid (Quarrel of The Cid), in which critics including Jean Mairet and Georges de Scudéry accused Corneille of plagiarism and of violating the classical dramatic unities. Cardinal Richelieu's Académie française acknowledged the play's success but determined it was defective, in part for not respecting the classical unities of time, place, and action.
Characters
- Don Rodrigue (Le Cid) – Son of Don Diègue, lover of Chimène. After defeating the Moors, he is given the title "Le Cid."
- Chimène – Daughter of Don Gomès, the Count of Gormas. She loves Rodrigue but is compelled to seek vengeance after he kills her father.
- Don Gomès, the Count of Gormas – Father of Chimène, a general of Castile.
- Don Diègue – Father of Don Rodrigue.
- Doña Urraque, L'Infante – Daughter of the king, secretly in love with Don Rodrigue.
- Don Fernand – King of Castile.
- Don Sanche – A nobleman in love with Chimène.
- Elvire – Chimène's governess.
- Leonor – The Infante's governess.
- Don Arias and Don Alonse – Noblemen of Castile.
Plot Summary
The play is set in Seville, in the Kingdom of Castile, during the second half of the 11th century.
Act I: Chimène learns that her father approves of her marriage to Don Rodrigue. However, a quarrel erupts when Don Gomès, jealous that Don Diègue has been chosen as the prince's tutor, slaps Don Diègue. Unable to avenge himself due to his age, Don Diègue charges his son Rodrigue with the task. Rodrigue is torn between his love for Chimène and his duty to his father's honor.
Act II: Rodrigue challenges and kills Don Gomès in a duel. Chimène, despite her love for Rodrigue, demands justice from the king.
Act III: Rodrigue comes to Chimène and offers her his life. Chimène confesses she still loves him but insists on pursuing vengeance. Don Diègue sends Rodrigue to lead a defense against an impending Moorish attack.
Act IV: Rodrigue defeats the Moors and is hailed as a hero. The king gives him the title "Le Cid." Chimène, still demanding justice, obtains the king's permission for a judicial duel between Rodrigue and any champion who will fight for her. Don Sanche volunteers. The king decrees that Chimène must marry the victor.
Act V: Rodrigue initially resolves not to defend himself, but Chimène urges him to fight so she can marry him rather than Don Sanche. Rodrigue defeats Don Sanche but spares his life. The king orders Chimène to marry Rodrigue, but she requests a year's delay to mourn her father. The king grants this, and Rodrigue is sent to continue fighting the Moors.
Structure and Form
The play is written in rhyming couplets (alternating masculine and feminine rhymes) in alexandrine meter (12 syllables per line), typical of classical French drama. It consists of five acts.
Literary Significance and Adaptations
Le Cid is widely regarded as Corneille's finest work and one of the greatest plays of the 17th century. It sparked the Querelle du Cid, a pivotal debate about dramatic theory and the classical unities. The play has been adapted into numerous operas, most notably by Jules Massenet (1885), and has inspired film and television adaptations, including Anthony Mann's 1961 film El Cid starring Charlton Heston.
