LE CID PLAY ANALYSIS
The cultural and political context
Before we turn to the tendencies present in Le Cid, I think we should first mention the play’s journey. Le Cid holds an important place within the Classical movement and French theatre. After it was staged, it was very well received yet soon came under heavy fire from contemporary theorists. The debates grew so intense that they arguably overshadowed the play itself. The newly established French Academy played a major role in opening Le Cid to such criticism. With the Academy’s founding, strict rules of form and style were set for playwriting. These rules were derived from the works of Ancient Greek authors and especially Aristotle, as well as later theorists like Horace. The theorists who adopted these rules were influenced by France’s cultural, social and economic conditions. With philosophy and science holding sway in France, rationalism became dominant, and the way a play should be written was defined according to reason. Growing faith in human reason prepared the ground for rigid theatrical rules. In short, if there is order in the universe, there should be order in drama as well.
The Classical movement, which prized reason, order and moderation, developed during a time when royal authority was strengthening in France and England. These monarchies were in good economic shape. Agriculture and colonial trade were the two pillars of this prosperity. Success in farming and colonization brought wealth and authority. During these years theatre was under the support and control of the crown, whose power was firmly established. In particular the French kings strongly supported theatre and led the way for other European countries.
The price of the court’s support for theatre was control. In this period theatre’s duty was to preserve and exalt the existing order. It was responsible for upholding societal values, educating the public and serving the common good. In doing so it had to adhere to strict form and style. Examples of these formal prescriptions included purity, a certain length, organic unity, consistency, the three unities, five acts, no more than three characters speaking on stage at once, and not showing bloody events.
To sum up, a simple theatre understanding took shape in France: pro-establishment, morally instructive, refined in expression, meticulous about language and rigid in form. This approach did not dwell on deep ideas and contented itself with punishing excesses. The debates over Le Cid played a large role in setting these rules. Above we mentioned some general facts about the period in which the play was written. Now let’s proceed with a few specific examples.
The Story of Le Cid
Pierre Corneille, the foremost playwright of French theatre, considered Le Cid his most important work. Yet contemporary theorists thought otherwise. To them Le Cid was riddled with flaws: lack of suspense, cramming several events into a short span and thus harming plausibility, failing to punish excess and ending happily, and the unclear separation of genres. The reaction he faced after writing Le Cid wounded Corneille deeply and kept him away from theatre for a time. He felt that such rigid rules stifled artistic creativity and stripped away naturalness. Hence we can say that Le Cid broke out of the strict conventions of its era. Still, Corneille paid heed to some rules. The language of the play, its focus on honour and reputation, and the theme of sacrificing oneself for the existing order, all align the work with the culture of its time. In terms of form Le Cid is unusual, but in style and content it fits its era.
The basic idea of Le Cid is that a person must be ready to give up everything to protect the existing order and their honour. The conflicts and plot are built around this notion. The characters are forced to choose, and the existing order is favoured. This preference is related to the period in which Corneille lived. Plays that could shake the established order were not welcomed. While theatre survived thanks to royal support, stepping outside this rule would have been unwise. Therefore Corneille’s orientation cannot be considered independent of political and economic factors.
Cultural Elements
If we touch on some cultural aspects of the play: the pressure placed on women in society, being married off against their will, monarchy, the glorification of heroism and duels can be mentioned.
In short, the cultural, political, economic and moral tendencies of the era are very clear in Le Cid. Although the play does not completely conform to its period in terms of form, in terms of content it has an organic link with its culture, it was written with its economic and political conditions in mind, and its moral didacticism comes to the fore.
2. What values, views or philosophies do the main and opposing characters represent?
There are no characters who are explicitly portrayed as representing particular values, views or philosophies. Rather, the situations they find themselves in take centre stage. Still, based on how they respond to these situations, we can make some observations.
Don Rodrigue: At first he is an innocent lover. Later, caught in a dilemma, he kills his beloved’s father. He sacrifices his love for the sake of honour. For him honour and reputation always come first. He represents the ideal French man: someone for whom honour and reputation are paramount and who is ready to sacrifice himself for the state. Thus he moves from being a victim to a hero.
Chimene: She too is an innocent lover. Then she becomes a victim seeking justice for her murdered father. Here justice resembles vengeance. Like Rodrigue she is torn between love and honour. The man who killed her father is also the man she loves. At first she is determined to wipe away the stain on her honour but later, after all that happens, she chooses love.
Don Dieque: His appointment as the prince’s tutor creates a conflict between him and Don Gomes. Though initially a measured man, the insult he suffers drives him to take revenge. Yet, as with Chimene, this shows similarities to justice. Dieque is a senior court official, representing that status.
Don Gomes: A statesman who has served the kingdom greatly. He is arrogant because of his achievements. He feels he has not been duly rewarded. He rebels against the king’s commands and insults his replacement. He is the epitome of a misfit. In the play he dies shortly afterwards.
Don Fernand: The king. He represents moderation, order and justice. He strives to be fair.
Dona Urraque: As the king’s daughter, she is portrayed with the moderation befitting her position.
Don Arias: A loyal aide to the king.
Don Sache: A young man in love with Chimene. The play does not focus much on him.
Don Alonse: A loyal aide to the king.
Leonor & Elvire: Servants, representing the lower class.
Values Represented by the Characters
All the characters in the play are positioned in opposition with respect to the value of moderation:
- Excess vs Moderation Don Dieque vs Don Fernand Don Gomes vs Dona Urraque Don Rodrigue vs Don Arias Don Sache vs Don Alonse Chimene vs Leonor & Elvire
The most important value opposition that sparks the conflict in the play is as follows:
- Pride vs Humility Don Gomes vs Don Dieque, Don Rodrigue
The clash between love and honour is presented through the two main characters, with each in turn representing it as the events unfold:
- Love vs Honour Chimene vs Don Dieque Don Dieque vs Chimene
3. By what means does the play concretize rebellion against the system?
We can answer the question of how the play opposes the system in two ways. First, through a character within the play defying the system; and second, through the play as a whole confronting the system.
Let’s start with the first question. The character who most threatens the established order is Don Gomes. He questions the king’s justice and claims the kingdom cannot survive without him. He soon dies. After him, Chimene complains that justice has not been served, which is another form of opposition. Apart from these two, no other character in the play stands against the system.
As for the second answer, when we speak of opposing the system, we must think of the existing order and the smaller orders within it. These can be exemplified thus: the form of government of a country is its system, and the smaller governments woven inside that structure are smaller systems. From this perspective we can state Corneille’s attitude toward the system in Le Cid.
Le Cid, with its central idea and choices of subject and character, is at peace with the system. The plot it creates centres on a predicament: sowing the seed of revenge between two young people who love each other. When this seed sprouts, a dilemma of honour and love emerges. Overall we see the characters choose honour. Thus, from this viewpoint there is no rebellion against the system. Naturally the system wants honour to be chosen over love. Yet the play does contain the possibility that Chimene forgives the man who killed her father, meaning she sets aside her honour. This is the aspect of Le Cid that has been most criticized. Still, overall—in terms of content—we can say the play is in harmony with the system.
We have said that Le Cid is system-friendly in terms of content. Yet in form it is the opposite. With the form he built for Le Cid, Corneille defies the theorists of his time (the smaller systems). He brings innovations in form and strives to capture the natural at a time when everyone swore by Aristotle. Whether he succeeds is debatable, but at least he rebelled against rigid rules and dared to try.
References
- BROCKETT, O. G. (2000). History of the Theatre. Istanbul: Dost Kitabevi.
- CORNEILLE, P. (2009). Le Cid. Istanbul: Mitos Boyut Publishing.
- ŞENER, S. (2008). Dünden Bugüne Tiyatro Düşüncesi. Istanbul: Dost Kitabevi.