Men who do not want to cross their fathers
An important image which appears in the play is that of men who do not want to go against their fathers’ wishes. These men claim they have to do as they are told, fearing they will be shunned otherwise and so they refuse to follow their own path. This attitude creates an image of the man of the time as being weak and as not knowing what they desire from their life and future.
Place of temptations
When Leonora hears about Julio’s departure the next day, she starts to panic, thinking about the women Julio will meet and how they will try to seduce him. Leonora does not see the court in good eyes, but rather a depraved place where women trained to seduce men are capable of turning a faithful man into an adulterous one. Through this description, the court is also portrayed as a dangerous place for a person who wants to maintain good morals, something seen as being impossible because of the temptations found there.
Women as goods traded by men
During a conversation between Leonora and her father, she is urged by Don Bernard to set the right price for herself and to not sell herself too cheaply to any other man. In this scene, Leonora is portrayed as a commodity, something which has a value in the real world. Because of this, she can be sold and bought by those interested. Women are thus portrayed here not only as being inferior to men, but also as being simple objects which had to respect their master’s decisions.
People who love can't be trusted
The men and the women in the play who manifest in some way or another some form of romantic interest towards another character are not portrayed as being reliable. Those men are women are instead pictured as ill people, unable to think for themselves in a proper manner and people who despite their actions, have to be followed and kept under a close watch. This portrayal also transmits the idea that love is not positive either and instead is something which can affect even the best of people and their intentions.
