The poem has epic proportions, having almost 4000 lines. The poem has a rather clear structure, being divided into different episodes, each dealing with a different subject. The main themes are honor and bravery and the main characters prove himself as being a valiant and honorable man.
The action of the poem begins in a time of relative peace. El Cid is a valuable man to the King and as such has many riches and properties. El Cid loses the King's favor when he is accused of stealing the tributes he was supposed to collect in the name of the King. El Cid tries to protect his honor but is unable to and is forced to flee before he is killed.
From the beginning, it is clear that for the men in the poem, honor is the most valuable thing they can have. El Cid is ready to give up everything he has just to prove his honor and in fact, all his actions are the result of his desire to restore his name. The narrator also transmits the idea that a person with no honor had no place in society. That man was shunned and forced to do anything in his power to regain his good name.
From this part of the poem, two other important things emerge as well. The first one is the idea that El Cid cared a lot about his family. As soon as he realized he was in danger, El Cid did everything he could to make sure his wife and daughters were protected. The three women are sent by El Cid to a nunnery, a safe place for women during those days. By sending them there, El Cid made sure the King was not able to marry his daughters to whoever he wanted and that his wife was protected as well. This scene also highlights just how little power and influence women had during those days.
Another important idea is that even though El Cid fell from the King's favor, he was still respected by his men who decided to stay with him and follow him. Because of this, El Cid is compared with King David who even when he was on the run, he had a steady number of men by his side of all times.
In the second part of the poem, El Cid takes the city of Valencia together with his men from a Moorish ruler. El Cid gives the rule of the city to the King and thus restores his honor. After this event, El Cid is allowed to live in Valencia and he brings his family out of hiding. For a while, El Cid lives happily with his family until he decides to marry off his two daughters.
Hearing about this, the King offers two of his nephews as matches. Unable to deny the King, El Cid agrees to the marriages even though he is reluctant. This scene shows that every man, woman, and child were subject to the King and had to obey him at all costs. A man like El Cid had no power to stand up to the king and was in fact forced to agree to everything he said.
The last part of the story focuses on El Cid's two daughters. They are married twice and each time they are mistreated by their husbands. Often, the two women are beaten, stripped naked, and then tied to trees for everyone to see. Every time, their father tries to help them and goes to the king. On one occasion, El Cid even duels his sons-in-law in order to win back his daughters' honor. The two daughters are powerless and are dependent on their fathers or husbands almost completely.
The poem ends with a third marriage for the two girls. It is unsure if those marriages will be successful or not but it is implied that because the matches were chosen by El Chid himself, the girls will have a happier and easier life.
