Essay Questions

Why do you think this text has survived when other important Castillian texts written after "The Poem of El Cid" have not?

This text is important in the history of Spain as a whole, not just in the history of Castillia as a region. It explains the events that led up to the beginning of the unification of the different regions, and how they ultimately became one country. The text also unites the Spanish people against their common enemy, the Moors and the aggressive Ottoman Empire, reminding them that their wars and disagreements are a trifle compared to the greater threat that came from the south. This is why the text was kept alive through the generations and why it had the power to continue to unify even when tension between the regions would flare up again.

The text is also important because it tells the story of a character so revered and admired that he has almost reached legendary status. El Cid is a character in the same vein as Robin Hood - a non-royal "knight" who was able to represent the downtrodden and badly treated, and emerge not only victorious but a national hero. This is another key reason for the survival of the text; characters that begin to seem less historical and more urban myth always become part of popular culture and as a hero for the masses El Cid was seen as the savior of the region, his story therefore told and retold through the generations.

In what ways did the Infantes try to bring about El Cid's downfall?

The Infantes were really only successful due to a Medieval form of nepotism; they were given many chances by their uncle, the King, to prove their worth as soldiers, which they did, in a way, although they also proved that their worth as soldiers was absolutely nothing at all. If there is a word for the opposite of valiant then the Infantes were it; their cowardice knew no bounds and they had no intention of fighting for the region and for their King, straying from their men and leaving them on the battlefield.

As many cowards do, the Infantes chose to try to undermine the person they considered most threatening to their comfortable position and this was El Cid. They had no real interest in marrying his daughters and so connived to make him appear a thief, their plan succeeding in getting him exiled from Castillia. When he proved his loyalty to the King again, the King pardoned him on their behalf. They then took their revenge upon him by abusing his daughters.

Abusers, cowards, and cheats that they were, the Infantes did not have the capability for personal growth or change and so decided to try to bring about El Cid's downfall instead; however, although each of their plans worked to a degree, El Cid's high character and loyalty always enabled him to regain the King's favor, which ultimately only served to highlight the poor character of his nephews.