El Mio Cid Essay Example

and ultimately conquered Valencia.

Having performed brave deeds, the Cid regained the trust of the king and his reputation was redeemed. As a result of these actions, his two daughters were wed to the infantes (princes) of Navarre and Aragon, and through these marriages, he began the process of unifying Spain. Unlike other European medieval epics, this narrative adopts a realistic tone[1].

Although the apparition of archangel Gabriel (verses 404–410) takes place in a dream, there is no magic involved. Nevertheless, the historical accuracy is not entirely preserved, as there is no mention of the protagonist's son and his daughters' names were not Elvira and Sol, nor did they become queens. The poem consists of over 3700 verses that typically contain 14 to 16 syllables and a cesure between the hemistiches. The rhyme is assonant. The Cantar del Destierro describes El Cid's departure from Castile and his battles with the Moorish king of Zaragoza until he reaches Valencia. On the other hand, the Cantar de la Afrenta de Corpes tells the tale of the infantes of Carrion who mistreat their wives and abandon them.

El Cid seeks justice from the court of Toledo in order to regain his honor, as described in Cantar de las Bodas de las hijas del Cid. He proceeds to arrange marriages between his daughters and the infantes of Navarre and Aragon, which marks the beginning of Spain's unification under his leadership. The authorship and composition date of this work remain unknown, with a theory previously suggesting that two individuals co-wrote it no longer supported.

After analyzing various aspects of the preserved text, it is evident that it was written by a sophisticated author

named Dona Elvira, who had extensive knowledge of the laws in effect during the late 12th century and principles of the 13th century. The writer was also familiar with the region bordering Burgos. The language used in the text suggests that the author was a lawyer who worked for a chancellery or as a notary for a nobleman or monastery. Their command of legal and administrative terminology is highly technical, and they also display expertise in several registers, including the proper style of medieval cantares de gesta.