The Bow Symbol Analysis

The bow has two layers of symbolic significance: first, it symbolizes the Commander’s predatory nature, just as the animal descriptions emphasize the same idea. One day, while the Commander is hunting deer, he comes across Laurencia. Setting down his bow, he forces himself on her. In this sense, the play ties the Commander’s deer stalking with his pursuit of Laurencia, as he essentially treats her like an animal to be hunted. Notably, the bow and arrow are also associated with the image of Cupid and therefore with love, and so it is symbolic that the Commander drops it when forcing himself on Laurencia—indicating that there is no love between them.

While the bow represents the Commander’s predatoriness toward women, it also indicates Frondoso’s protectiveness toward those same women. After the Commander drops the bow in the woods, Frondoso then picks up the bow and points it at the Commander to rescue Laurencia. This demonstrates Frondoso’s honor, as he is putting himself at great risk (threatening the town’s overlord) in order to protect Laurencia’s chastity. Notably, Frondoso never attacks the Commander with the bow—explaining that he knows his place and doesn’t want to kill the Commander—but instead walks off with it because he worries the Commander will try to kill him. Thus, the bow and its implied targets draw a sharp contrast between the Commander’s lack of virtue and Frondoso’s chivalry and honor.