Le Cid

“In the happiness of others I seek my own.” 

Knowing that Rodrigo can never be hers, the Infanta resolves to bring Rodrigo and Chimène together for the sake of her friendship with Chimène. This line expresses her kind, unselfish nature, which contrasts with Chimène’s drive for vengeance.

“[M]en may reduce me to live without happiness, but they cannot compel me to live without honor.” 

Spoken by the Count, this line expresses the central concern for honor among most of the characters in the play. To live with honor, dignity and self-respect is the primary value, more important than life itself. The Count here defies the consequences of insulting Diego, which he sees as an act of defending his own honor.

“To him who avenges his father nothing is impossible.” 

Rodrigo defies the Count’s age and superior military power as he seeks to avenge the Count’s insult against his father, Diego. The quote conveys the importance of honor, filial piety, and social loyalty that runs through the play. Rodrigo implies that righteous anger can make a person capable of incredible deeds.

“In conquering without danger we triumph without glory.” 

The Count urges Rodrigo not to fight him, because it would be too easy for him (the Count) to beat Rodrigo, and thus the fight would not increase his honor. This quote again expresses the competitive spirit and the preoccupation with pride and self-respect among most of the characters of the play. The quote also implies an inverse relationship, in which greater danger creates the opportunity for greater honor, as when Rodrigo goes to war.

“Accursed ambition! hateful madness! whose tyranny the most generous souls are suffering.” 

Chimène reacts to the escalating feud between her father and Diego. She shows the ability to stand outside the ethic of honor and vengeance that motivates the other characters. The quote might be seen as ironic since Chimène herself will fall prey to the ethic of vengeance herself. Indeed, she anticipates this by her next line: “O honor! […] how many tears and sighs art thou going to cost me?”

“The sacred tie which will unite Don Rodrigo and Chimène will dispel the hatred of their hostile sires...” 

The Infanta expresses her hope that the love of Rodrigo and Chimène will put an end to their fathers’ feud. Tragically, this does not come to pass. The quote shows the Infanta’s optimistic, hopeful and charitable nature and her desire to see Chimène and Rodrigo together despite her unrequited love for Rodrigo.

“When the arm has failed, the head is punished for it

Speaking to the King, Diego offers to accept the punishment due to Rodrigo for the death of the Count. This shows the idea of moral responsibility that forms the background to the character’s beliefs, while acknowledging differences of opinion in how that moral responsibility should be allocated. It also shows that Diego has morally redeeming qualities as a father.

“Even in offending me, thou hast proved thyself worthy of me; I must, by thy death, prove myself worthy of thee.” 

These words of Chimène to Rodrigo express the deeply ironic nature of their situation. Rodrigo’s killing of Chimène’s father has caused Chimène much grief. Yet viewed differently, it gives her a moral example in that Rodrigo did it to defend his own father. In turn, Chimène must follow this example by avenging her own father and have Rodrigo put to death. She will then, in turn, have herself put to death, and the cycle of violence and retribution will finally end. This quote shows the moral nobility of Rodrigo and Chimène and their deep love for one another which is sacrificial and transcends death.

“Thy unhappy lover will have far less pain in dying by thy hand than in living with thy hatred.” 

Rodrigo gives Chimène the option of killing him with her own hand as punishment for killing her father. For Rodrigo, life would no longer be worth living if he had to live with Chimène’s resentment. This shows Rodrigo’s unselfish devotion to Chimène and his desire to atone for the killing.

“If thou lovest her, learn that to return as a conqueror is the sole means of regaining her heart.” 

Diego persuades Rodrigo to go to war against the Moors. He argues that this action will have more than one benefit. It will gain him glory—doubly so if he dies in battle—and in the process will make Chimène love him again and atone for his killing her father. This shows the keen persuasion and even manipulation that Diego uses against his son, for the benefit of increasing his own honor.

“[G]o to the combat, and show the King that what he loses in the Count he regains in thee.” 

Continuing from the previous quote, Diego next persuades Rodrigo to go to war by appealing to his patriotism. Diego suggests that Rodrigo will take on the mantle of the dead Count, who was the King’s best warrior. The quote shows how honor and talent are considered to be passed from one generation to another. It also suggests that pain and loss are not always without compensations.

“I see what I lose, when I see what he is worth.” 

Hearing of Rodrigo’s accomplishments on the battlefield from the Infanta, Chimène finds herself loving him all the more and feels all the more pain because she cannot have him as her husband. This quote underlines the painful dilemma that both Chimène and the Infanta share. It also underlines the importance in the play of worth and honor coming from personal accomplishment.

“Will the death of your lover restore to you a father?”

Elvira poses a challenge to Chimène’s vindictive way of thinking which is pushing her to punish Rodrigo by death. The logic of Elvira’s question represents an alternative view to the prevailing belief in honor and vengeance shown by the other characters.