The Cid

by Pierre Corneille

"The Cid" by Pierre Corneille is a five-act tragicomedy written in 1636. When Rodrigue kills Chimène's father in a duel to defend his own father's honor, their passionate love faces an impossible test. Can Chimène marry the man who slew her father, even as duty demands she seek vengeance? This groundbreaking play sparked fierce controversy for defying classical dramatic rules, yet became one of seventeenth-century French theater's greatest triumphs, proving that tragic characters need not follow conventional paths.