Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Fuente Ovejuna, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Tyranny vs. Collectivism
Love and Respect
Honor
Power and Christianity
Language, Knowledge, and Truth
Summary
Analysis
Esteban and an alderman are discussing what to do about their stocks of grain, noting that the weather seems to bode ill for the year ahead. Esteban says he hates prophesiers, who worry people to death with their predictions about the future. He notes that prophesiers forecast the death of some leader, but it will happen in another country. They debate what has happened and what will happen, but “the one who seems / The wisest is the greatest fool.”
Esteban and the alderman’s discussion represents another criticism of using complex or obscure language to claim expertise or higher intelligence—the same points made in the villagers’ discussion of language and debate in the first act. Here, Esteban implies that those who try to boost their reputation by claiming their prophecies are accurate or by giving a great debate are usually “the greatest fool[s].”
Themes
Leonelo and Barrildo enter. Barrildo asks Leonelo about his time at the University of Salamanca, and Leonelo says that although he tried to learn the things that matter, he probably knows as much as the local barber. He says that everyone knows the same type of things that he’s learned—he’s just learned how to say those things in flowery language that he learned from books.
Leonelo and Barrildo’s discussion reinforces Esteban’s point—criticizing people who use flowery or complicated language to make themselves seem smarter, when in reality, they only know as much as (or even less than) everyone else. Again, the implication is that this kind of complicated language doesn’t actually indicate greater knowledge or truth.
Themes
Leonelo laments the invention of the printing press, because even though it’s protected great works, it allows “so-called experts” to publish “rubbish in / The guise of wisdom” or enables people to publish in the name of someone else to harm the person’s reputation. Barrildo thinks that printing is progress, so they agree to disagree.
Leonelo’s lament about the printing press also comes directly from de Vega, the playwright, as de Vega often encountered the problem of people publishing their work under his name. Thus, this criticism is very personal, and it emphasizes the potential for language to be manipulated so that “so-called” (that is, fake) experts can claim knowledge or wisdom.
Themes
Juan Rojo, another alderman, and a peasant enter discussing the Commander. Juan Rojo is shocked at how the Commander treated Laurencia, and the peasant thinks the Commander is a beast who should be hanged. All of the men sit on nearby benches for a Council meeting, and the Commander, Ortuño, and Flores enter together. The other men in attendance (including Esteban, Leonelo, and Barrildo) rise, and but the Commander insists that they remain seated. Esteban thanks the Commander for granting them this honor, as those without honor cannot grant it.
The exchange between Esteban and the Commander establishes a key idea about honor at the time the play is set (the 15th century). As Esteban notes, peasants were not considered honorable, and therefore, those of high social rank (like the Commander) were the only people who could grant honor or respect to others. The play complicates this idea, however, by showing that the townspeople are very honorable (hence their shock at how the Commander treated Laurencia), while the Commander is not. Additionally, the peasant’s use of the word “beast” in this exchange again reinforces the Commander’s predatory nature, particularly with regards to Laurencia.
Themes
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As the men sit, Esteban asks the Commander if he saw the greyhound they gave him. The Commander remarks that he wants Esteban to set it on a hare that keeps escaping him—Laurencia, Esteban’s daughter. The Commander explains that Laurencia refuses to give in to his advances, as the wife of someone in this square did when she saw how taken he was with her. Esteban says that if that’s true, then the woman acted improperly, and the Commander is acting improperly by speaking freely about it. The Commander sarcastically remarks that Esteban is an eloquent peasant and should read a copy of Aristotle’s Politics.
The Commander again reinforces his lack of respect for Laurencia in likening her to another animal of prey. The hare is a particularly notable reference, because it was a medieval symbol for the vagina—emphasizing that lust is the Commander’s only motivation, instead of love based on respect. And just as the Commander lacks respect for Laurencia, he also lacks respect for the other women and men in the town—dishonoring another man’s wife and making fun of Esteban. Hence, the play reinforces how honor is not necessarily equivalent with social rank. In addition, the Commander’s reference to Aristotle’s Politics (a work of political philosophy that compares various forms of government) is meant as a backhanded remark about Esteban’s peasant status and relative lack of education, as the Commander is implying that Esteban isn’t well-read.
Themes
Esteban says that Fuente Ovejuna is happy to be governed by the Commander, but there are people of great worth in the town. The other men chime in, declaring that the Commander denies them honor by speaking so vulgarly to them. The Commander remarks that they don’t have honor, but the alderman responds that there are many who wear the Order’s Cross whose blood is far less pure than that of the villagers. He says that bad deeds stain the Commander’s blood. Another magistrate notes that the Commander’s words also dishonor the women in the town, and his actions dishonor them even more.
Again, the play reinforces that honor is not necessarily based on rank: the alderman points out that people who wear the Cross (those who are high-ranking in social status) don’t necessarily have purer blood (meaning greater worth) than the people in the town. Moreover, this passage shows that the villagers have a great deal of respect for the Commander, as they’re happy to be governed by him. But there’s a limit to their compliance: if he doesn’t show them the respect that they show him, that equates to tyranny (as the Commander himself noted in the play’s opening lines).
Themes
The Commander exclaims in frustration that these are “tedious peasant values.” He thanks God for cities, where a “man / Of quality enjoys himself / Without hindrance.” Esteban says that God lives in cities too, and punishment for bad deeds can be even swifter in cities than in towns. The Commander shoos the men out of the square, demanding that they show him more respect. Worried that they intend to plot against him, he tells them to go home separately.
The Commander claims that in cities, men can be freer (or in the Commander’s case, more disrespectful and tyrannical)—but the play doesn’t necessarily support this. As Esteban notes, people without Christian values are punished just as much in the city as in the country. (This also reinforces the idea that the Commander is at odds with those values). Meanwhile, Isabel and Fernando are quite virtuous despite their living in a city court. In addition, in telling the villagers to go home, the Commander seems to recognize and express his worry that the citizens could rebel against him—collectively, they are much more powerful than he is.
Themes
Once the Commander, Ortuño, and Flores are alone, Ortuño notes that the Commander never hides his disdain for the men. Commenting that the men are not his equals, the Commander then turns his attention to Frondoso, the peasant who stole his bow. Flores reports that Frondoso is still in town, and the Commander is shocked that Frondoso has the nerve to point his bow at the Commander and remain in town. Flores notes that his love for Laurencia is keeping him in Fuente Ovejuna.
The Commander again reinforces the idea that he does not honor the peasants because their low birth means they are not worthy of that honor. But the fact that the Commander treats them however he pleases and abuses them only makes them aware of how tyrannical he is. The fact that he is outraged that Frondoso pointed a bow at him—despite the fact that he only did so because the Commander was about to rape Laurencia—only shows how perverted his values have become.
Themes
The Commander says he has controlled himself thus far: if he had not, the town would have been reduced to ashes in two hours. He says he’ll rein in his longing for revenge until the right time. The Commander then asks Ortuño and Flores about some of the other women in the town whom he asked his servants to woo on the Commander’s behalf. Ortuño and Flores report that some of them refused the Commander and gave them money instead, but other women said that he can have them whenever he wants, or as long as their husbands don’t find out. The Commander says, “I love / These easy women well and pay them ill.” Flores and the Commander also discuss how women who give in too easily spoil men’s anticipation, and that when things men want are easily obtained, they easily forget about them.
The Commander continues to show his tyranny and lack of honor. First, he believes he is being merciful by not razing Fuente Ovejuna to the ground, but then he vows to get vengeance at the right time. This is a clear departure from Christian values of mercy and justice. Second, the Commander even admits how his desire for the village’s women is not founded on respect, but is instead based in lust—which makes the women easy to discard afterward. It is for this reason, primarily, that the other villagers are so disgusted by the Commander’s actions, foreshadowing how his lust will ultimately lead to his downfall.
Themes
A soldier named Cimbranos enters and informs the Commander that Isabel’s armies have surrounded Ciudad Real, which means the Master is in danger of losing the city, which they shed so much blood to obtain. King Alonso is in danger of losing battles of his own, so though he supports the Master, he can’t provide much support. Cimbranos asks the Commander for aid, and the Commander instructs Ortuño to gather 50 soldiers and ride out. He promises Cimbranos that the city will not fall.
Though Isabel and Fernando are in pursuit of the same city as the Master and the Commander, the play illustrates that they do not share the same motivations. Fernando and Isabel claimed the city initially, and the citizens asked them to retake the city while acknowledging that Fernando has a divine right to rule. On the other hand, the Master and the Commander only want the city for glory, and they shed a lot of blood in order to take it, showing that their motivations do not reflect Christian values like Isabel and Fernando’s.
Themes
The scene shifts. Laurencia and Pascuala ask Mengo to accompany them into town, because they need his protection in case they run into the Commander. Mengo and the women lament that the Commander is ruining their lives—they compare him to the devil, a beast, and a disease poisoning the village.
In this scene, Laurencia and Pascuala acknowledge the benefit of banding together in order to avoid the Commander’s tyranny—they’re better able to defend themselves as a group than as individuals. Moreover, they again reinforce the Commander’s lack of honor and his predatory lustfulness in comparing him to the devil and a beast.
Themes
Mengo comments that he heard Frondoso threatened the Commander to save Laurencia, and Laurencia admits that this is true—Frondoso was very brave to endanger himself for her. She’s grown fond of Frondoso, and even though she’s told him he shouldn’t stay in town because the Commander has sworn to hang him, he still refuses to leave. Mengo says he wishes he could stone the Commander to death, using a sling to split his skull. The women also wish to see the Commander dead.
The fact that Frondoso’s heroic actions are now spurring Laurencia’s own feelings illustrates how respect (like the respect that Frondoso showed Laurencia) is a strong foundation for love. The Commander’s lack of respect, on the other hand, is now spurring citizens like Mengo, Pascuala, and Laurencia to want to kill him as a tyrant.
Themes
Jacinta enters, announcing that the Commander’s servants are on their way to Ciudad Real, “armed less with noble steel than with / Their vile and sordid wickedness.” She explains that they plan to abduct her and take her to the Commander. Laurencia and Pascuala leave, worried for their own safety, while Mengo assures Jacinta that he’ll protect her, picking up stones from the ground to use as weapons.
In describing the Commander as “armed less with noble steel than with […] wickedness,” Jacinta underscores the fact that the Commander’s noble birth doesn’t necessarily make him a noble person. By contrast, Mengo honorably defends her from the Commander’s servants. He knows that part of the Commander’s ability to abuse women like Jacinta lies in the fact that he can overpower her as an individual—it’s more difficult for him to do so when others are protecting her.
Themes
Flores and Ortuño arrive, insistent upon abducting Jacinta. Mengo asks them to leave her alone, saying that Jacinta is his relative and it’s his duty to protect her. Flores shouts, “Kill him!”, and Mengo insists that he will use his sling if Flores and Ortuño provoke him.
The contrast between Mengo and the Commander’s henchmen reinforces the idea that common villagers like Mengo can act more honorably than people who have more authority or are honored simply because they’re of noble birth.
Themes
When the Commander and Cimbranos come upon the scene, Flores notes that the “village scum” are defying them, and that the Commander should raze the village to the ground. Mengo begs the Commander to punish Flores and Ortuño for trying to take Jacinta in the Commander’s name, despite the fact that she is married and has honorable parents. But in response to this, the Commander asks Flores and Ortuño to tie up Mengo’s hands with Mengo’s sling.
Again, the Commander demonstrates not only his lack of honor but also how difficult it is for commoners like Mengo and Jacinta to fight the Commander’s tyranny. This is true not only because the Commander has henchmen to back him up, giving him greater physical power, but also because his greater political power means that Mengo and Jacinta have no one they can appeal to in order to stop the Commander’s tyranny. Mengo’s sling also alludes to the fact that the Commander is a powerful tyrant. This recalls the biblical story of David and Goliath, whereby David brought down the giant Goliath using a sling—foreshadowing the fact that the villagers, who are similarly underdogs, may bring down the tyrannical Commander.
Themes
Mengo asks if this is how the Commander defends Jacinta’s honor, but the Commander replies by telling Flores and Ortuño to strip and flog Mengo. Though Mengo begs for mercy, saying that the Commander is a noble man, the Commander commands his servants to beat Mengo senseless. Mengo cries out to Heaven for help as Flores and Ortuño carry him away.
Mengo’s appeal underscores the distinction between social rank and true honor. The Commander is a “noble man,” as Mengo points out, but he still has to earn that nobility or honor by acting honorably toward others. Instead, the Commander chooses to act without honor or mercy.
Themes
Alone with Jacinta, the Commander asks why she runs away from him. Jacinta explains that Flores and Ortuño offended her honor, and the Commander shouldn’t take her honor away from her. She says her father is honorable—he may not be of noble birth, but he has nobler deeds and actions than the Commander. Insulted, the Commander says that Jacinta will be his “soldiers’ baggage” and he takes her away as she cries out to Heaven to punish the Commander.
Jacinta points out that even though the Commander is of noble birth, people who have nobler deeds and actions are more honorable than the he is, suggesting that social standing does not equate to honor. Moreover, the Commander again illustrates his disrespect and lustfulness toward women as abducts Jacinta and then suggests that he will let his other soldiers rape her.
Themes
Later that day, Laurencia warns Frondoso to leave the town. Frondoso says that he saw the Commander leave for Ciudad Real, and that his faith in Laurencia got rid of all his fear. He asks if the loyalty he has shown her has made her more inclined to marry him, and she says yes. Frondoso is overwhelmed with happiness, explaining that this gives his life new meaning. Laurencia says that the only thing he has to do is ask her father, Esteban, pointing out that he’s walking this way with Juan Rojo. She hides in the trees to observe.
Frondoso again acts as a foil for the Commander, as he shows his respect for Laurencia in asking her if she would marry him, rather than forcing himself on her like the Commander does. Moreover, the fact that Laurencia says yes after Frondoso protected her demonstrates that respect fosters love and can lead to harmonious marriage.
Themes
As they approach, Esteban and Juan Rojo discuss the Commander’s despicable actions. Juan Rojo says he feels bad for Jacinta as well as Mengo, who was flogged until his body was black and blue. Esteban is outraged at this injustice, wondering what his staff of office is good for if the Commander can do whatever he wants. Esteban remarks that the other day, the Commander had his way with Pedro Redondo’s wife in the valley, and when he was done with her, he gave her to his servants.
Here the townspeople—particularly Esteban—start to recognize the extent of the Commander’s abuse and how little power they have as individuals to stop it, despite Esteban’s theoretical authority as one of the town magistrates. Additionally, Esteban’s story about Pedro Redondo’s wife is notable, because the Commander told Laurencia in Act 1 that the woman surrendered willingly to him. This exchange provides more context for that story and suggests that the Commander is lying about the fact that some of the women he’s raped have wanted to have sex with him.
Themes
Just then, Frondoso approaches Esteban and Juan Rojo, asking permission to speak with Esteban. Esteban says that Frondoso is like a son to him, and he doesn’t need permission to speak. Frondoso is glad to hear this, and he declares that he loves Laurencia and wishes to marry her. Esteban says that this request makes him extremely happy and allays his greatest fear. He is glad that Frondoso does him this honor and is grateful that Frondoso’s love is so honest.
Frondoso shows respect not only to Laurencia, but also to her father, in asking Esteban’s permission to marry Laurencia. This makes their engagement even more meaningful and joyful, reinforcing how love and respect can lead to harmony in marriage (and in society more broadly). This action also sets Frondoso apart from the Commander, who does not give Laurencia or Esteban the same honor. Esteban alludes to this in saying that Frondoso is allaying his greatest fear—seeming to imply how fearful he was that the Commander would abduct and rape Laurencia.
Themes
Esteban says that they should inform Frondoso’s father, and if his father doesn’t object, Frondoso and Laurencia can be married. When Juan Rojo asks if they should consult Laurencia, Esteban suspects that Frondoso wouldn’t have asked without her agreement. Frondoso refuses a dowry, but Esteban says they should ask what Laurencia thinks. Frondoso agrees, saying that they shouldn’t go against her wishes.
Frondoso continues to draw a contrast between himself and the Commander, as he refuses to do anything that would go against Laurencia’s wishes. The Commander, on the other hand, would gladly show Laurencia the ultimate disrespect by raping her. This reinforces the idea that love based in respect is much stronger and more harmonious than the Commander’s lust, which involves no respect for women whatsoever.
Themes
When Esteban calls to Laurencia, she immediately obeys him and emerges. He takes her aside and asks if her friend Gila would be a good match for Frondoso, whom he calls honorable. Confused and disappointed, Laurencia agrees. Esteban immediately counters and says Frondoso’s better off with Laurencia—and Laurencia chides her father for the trick. He asks if she loves Frondoso, and she says that she’s very fond of him, asking her father to say yes on her behalf. Esteban leaves to find Frondoso’s father, again insisting that Frondoso take a dowry. Alone, Frondoso tells Laurencia that he’s overjoyed that she will be his wife.
Laurencia, too, shows how much she honors and loves her father by asking Esteban to say yes on her behalf. The way that Laurencia and Frondoso respect their parents also bolsters familial love, reinforcing that even outside of romantic love, respect is a key component for creating harmony and joy. Additionally, Esteban explicitly calls Frondoso honorable, highlighting the idea that honor derives from actions, not just social rank.
Themes
Back in Ciudad Real, the Master, the Commander, Flores, and Ortuño are discussing their defeat. The Master laments that the city wall was weak, while the enemy was powerful. Offstage voices hail Castile’s victory in battle, and the Master declares that he must return to Calatrava. In turn, the Commander says that he will return to Fuente Ovejuna, and that they have to decide whether to accept Isabel and Fernando’s rule or continue to support his family’s cause.
In showing the Commander and the Master’s loss of Ciudad Real, the play suggests that pursuing and maintaining power is only justified when informed by Christian values. The Master and Commander were not motivated by justice, mercy, or peace, and so the play underscores that they do not deserve to hold Ciudad Real.
Themes
Later, at Laurencia and Frondoso’s wedding, musicians sing long life to the newlyweds. Mengo says that it’s the song that needs more life, and Frondoso comments that Mengo knows more of whipping than composing. Mengo agrees, saying that a hundred soldiers beat him just for arming himself with a sling. After noting that the Commander is an animal, Barrildo also begins to sing about the newlyweds having a long and happy life. Mengo says that this is dreadful poetry, like a person making fritters. They throw in lumps of dough, which come out deformed and burned or soggy, and afterward they use honey to sweeten up the ill-cooked fritters. Barrildo tells Mengo to stop fooling around.
Mengo’s comment that 100 soldiers whipped him for having a sling indicates the scale of tyranny that the villagers are up against. Working alone, as Mengo was, he had no chance of escaping his abuse. Additionally, Mengo’s comments about fritters are a simile for bad poets using flowery or oversweet language to convey wisdom or truth, when in reality their language is as clumsy as deformed dough. Mengo’s illustrates this point even as he speaks, as his plain language communicates his critique effectively.
Themes
At that moment, Frondoso and Laurencia ask for Esteban and Juan Rojo’s blessing, and afterward Juan Rojo calls for the musicians to start up again to celebrate the two lovers becoming one. The musicians sing about a village girl who comes down a path followed by a knight. Afraid and ashamed of being alone with the knight, the village girl tries to hide herself in the branches, but the knight calls her pretty and tells her not to hide herself. The knight says that a man in love can conquer any mountain and see through walls of stone when someone catches his eye. As the song ends, the Commander, Flores, Ortuño, and Cimbranos enter.
The musician’s song about the village girl and the knight recalls the Commander’s treatment of Laurencia in the woods. Like the knight of the tale, the Commander didn’t respect Laurencia’s desire to avoid him, all because he lusted after her. The song also foreshadows the Commander’s imminent arrival at the wedding, which illustrates how his lack of respect for Laurencia can create complete disorder, in contrast to the joyful and respectful celebration of love at the wedding.
Themes
The Commander demands they stop the celebrations and brandishes his weapons. Laurencia tells Frondoso to run, but the Commander orders his servants to grab Frondoso and lock him up. Pascuala points out that Frondoso is getting married, and that if the Commander is so noble, he should forgive Frondoso. The Commander says that Frondoso’s crime—pointing a bow at the Commander—was against the Master, the Order, and its sacred honor. The punishment is therefore out of the Commander’s hands.
Pascuala continues to point out that the Commander can choose to be honorable—he can live up to the honor that he received at birth. And yet, he continues to choose vengeance over mercy in dealing with Frondoso, showing that honor can also be tarnished through actions. The fact that he comes in with several henchmen also shows why it’s so difficult for the villagers to counter the Commander’s tyranny, because he has more support and can physically overpower them in this moment.
Themes
Trying to appeal to the Commander’s “virtuous” nature, Esteban says that any man in love would have done what Frondoso did if their wife was going to be abducted. The Commander says he didn’t try to take Frondoso’s wife, because Laurencia wasn’t his wife at the time. Esteban scoffs, saying that there are new rulers in Castile who will put an end to this kind of disorder. He says they would do well to get rid of men “whose power comes / From wearing crosses.”
Again, Esteban highlights that the Commander can choose to live up to his “virtuous” nature (the position he was born into at birth), and yet he continues to act dishonorably. Additionally, Esteban’s point that the rulers in Castile—meaning Fernando and Isabel—will get rid of people whose power comes from crosses. This is a reference to the Order’s Cross, which indicates the Commander’s social rank and power. But in calling attention to the Cross, Esteban highlights how the Commander is actually going against Christian values in his actions.
Themes
The Commander tells his servants to seize Esteban’s staff and beat him with it. Laurencia points out that the Commander is only doing this because Esteban is her father, and she asks what she’s done wrong to the Commander. The Commander orders his servants to take her away, so the men carry off both Laurencia and Frondoso. Pascuala notes that the wedding has become a wake, and Barrildo asks if anyone will speak out. Mengo says he tried to speak out, and he has the scars to prove it, so he’s holding his tongue now. Juan Rojo comments that they all need to discuss what has happened.
Even though many of the villagers were gathered together at this wedding, they haven’t yet realized their collective power. Thus, they are unable to stop the Commander’s tyranny as he carries off Laurencia and Frondoso and beats Esteban, simply because Laurencia refuses to have sex with the Commander. This shows how little recourse the villagers have to address the Commander’s tyranny, even though they outnumber him and his henchmen.
Themes
