Le Cid

Le Cid Summary | Act 1, Scenes 1 and 2 Summary

This classical French play tells the story of Chimene and Roderick, young lovers driven apart by acts of perceived dishonor done to their respective fathers. This tension between honor and love is developed both dramatically and thematically throughout the play as the lovers confront their simultaneous desires for vengeance and for each other.

Scene 1 - Chimene and Elvire enter, with Chimene repeatedly demanding that Elvire confirm what she's already said - that Chimene's father Don Gomez is indeed in favor of the marriage between Chimene and Don Roderick, a young soldier. Conversation reveals that Roderick had a rival for Chimene's affections in Don Sancho, and that Gomez is likely to be offered the position of tutor to the king's son. Elvire assures Chimene that everything will work out according to her hopes, but Chimene expresses her fears that soon, great sorrow will follow great joy.

Scene 2 - The Infanta (Princess) comes in with Leonora, and tells a messenger to give Chimene the message that the Infanta wants to see her. Conversation between the Infanta and Leonora reveals that every day the Infanta waits for news of how the relationship between Roderick and Chimene is going. She is passionately in love with Roderick herself and believes that once he and Chimene are betrothed her pain at not being able to marry him will end. Leonora says the Infanta would be wise to forget Roderick sooner rather than later, since his social stature is too low to allow him to marry a princess. The Infanta says she would rather kill herself than dishonor her family, and admits to encouraging the relationship between Roderick and Chimene so that she could be freed from the torture of her love. She then speaks poetically about the way that their wedding will simultaneously mean death and life to her - death because her hopes of love from Roderick will end, and life because she will be free from those hopes. The messenger returns with news that Chimene is waiting for the Infanta in a nearby gallery. The Infanta tells both Leonora and the messenger to go to Chimene and say she'll be with her shortly. When they're gone, the Infanta prays for the restoration of her peace and honor, and for finding joy in the happiness of others.