Analysis of El Cid’s Song Structure and Themes
Analysis of El Cid’s Song Structure
The structure of the Song of Mio Cid, based on Menéndez Pidal’s 1913 edition, is divided into three parts, reflecting the author’s view of how the minstrel would recite the epic. The text itself seems to confirm this division with phrases like, “the saga of conpieça heres my Cid of Bivar” (v. 1,085), and later, “The verses are running heres deste sing” (v. 2,776).
First Song: Song of Exile (vv. 1-1,086)
El Cid is banished from Castile and must leave his wife and daughters. He begins a military campaign with his loyal followers in non-Christian lands, sending gifts to the king after each victory to regain royal favor.
Second Song: Song of the Marriage (vv. 1,087-2,277)
El Cid conquers Valencia from the Moors. He sends his friend, Álvar Fáñez, to the court of Castile with gifts for the king, requesting permission for his family to join him in Valencia. The king agrees, forgives El Cid, and lifts the punishment on him and his men. El Cid’s fortune leads the Infantes of Carrión to seek marriage with Doña Elvira and Doña Sol. El Cid asks the king to approve the marriages, though he is wary of the Infantes. The weddings are celebrated with great ceremony.
Third Song: Song of the Shame of Corpes (vv. 2,278-3,730)
The Infantes of Carrión soon reveal their cowardice, first by fleeing from a lion and then in battle against the Arabs. Feeling humiliated, they seek revenge. They travel to Carrión with their wives and, upon reaching the oak grove of Corpes, they beat and abandon them. El Cid is dishonored and demands justice from the king. The trial ends with a duel in which the representatives of El Cid defeat the Infantes.
The Infantes are dishonored, and their marriages are annulled. The poem concludes with plans for the daughters of El Cid to marry the Infantes of Navarre and Aragon.
The primary themes include: Affront (with expected improvement), the process of improving, and the achievement of honor. It is not an anti-nobility text but a critique of the attitudes of sectors that do not align with certain values. The political contrast is between El Cid and the Infantes of Carrión.
Key Locations and Their Significance
- Burgos: The initial order not to provide shelter to El Cid highlights anxiety.
- Cardeña: Develops the situation, characters, and action, focusing on the environment and family. The separation of El Cid’s wife and daughters is a key element. The hero’s desire to marry them off is tied to honor and social legitimacy.
Themes and Processes
The text explores the recovery of honor through various stages:
- Exile: The initial desolation and distress.
- Military Episodes in Alcocer: El Cid’s military strategy leads to economic power and honor, attracting knights to join him.
- Pinewood of Tévar Episodes: El Cid’s fight against the nobility, ridiculing the Count of Barcelona.
- Episodes in Valencia: Sending gifts to the king and the reconciliation, leading to the marriage of his daughters with the Infantes of Carrión.
- Weddings: The king acts as godfather, but the Infantes prove to be dishonest. El Cid seeks improvement, leading to the cancellation of the weddings and new marriage plans with the Infantes of Aragon and Navarre.
The religious environment is also important, with monks opening doors and transmitting political and moral values.