Le Cid

Based on the Spanish legend of the medieval knight El Cid, Corneille's tragicomedy was the runaway hit of 1636 and sparked La querelle du Cid, an epic literary debate over its shocking disregard for the classical unities of drama. When our hero Rodrigue must duel the father of his beloved Chimène, no outcome can be a good one. And when Chimène's father is killed, she is torn between her love for Rodrigue and her duty to avenge her family's honor. And yet, the great playwright Corneille, against all odds, pulls off a happy ending, in this too-seldom produced masterpiece of French literature.