Quote: "Ton père est satisfait, et c'étoit le venger que mettre tant de fois ton Rodrigue en danger. Tu vois comme le ciel autrement en dispose. Ayant tant fait pour lui, fais pour toi quelque chose..."
Synopsis: Don Rodrigue has returned from war victorious and was given the name "Le Cid" which is a transliteration of an Arabic word for "Lord." Most notably, he captured two Arab kings. The king wants to discover Chimène's true feelings about Rodrigue and Sanche, but she is intent on hiding them out of shame and for the vengence she feels. The king decides that Don Sanche should duel Rodrigue for her father's honor, and whoever wins also wins Chimène's hand in marriage. Rodrigue is happy to die to satisfy vengence and honor but Chimène tells him that after defeating her father and the Arabs, she expects more from him. Finally, after Don Sanche pretends to have defeated Rodrigue and Chimène becomes very upset, her true feelings are clear to everyone and the king tells her that her father's honor has been satisfied by now and she should marry the one she truly loves.
Reader's Response: I could feel the passion in the words a lot more in this final reading than I did before, and I think that was because the story and the characters were at their most developed point, but also because I made a more conscious effort in reading to think about how the lines would be heard and delivered on stage. It really made the text come alive for me- all the conflict Chimène felt, the honor and duty felt by Rodrigue, and the light-hearted and well-intentioned antics of the king in trying to discover Chimène's true feelings.
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2 comments:
I really liked this play. The ending was set out very well. Rodrigue's desires and vision seemed to have never changed. Chimene still struggled between her love and her duty. But everyone seemed to come to a conclusion that was setteling to them. Even Chimene's conflict was satisfied at the orders of the King.
i enjoyed the reading.I enjoyed the poetry in the characters' lines and I was pleased at the ending. For a second I thought that Rodrigue would just have to end up dying before anything could be ok. I am glad Chimene ended up with him. The kings character was refreshing at the end I think it showed him to be really great person deep on the inside ha.
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