Fuente Ovejuna

In Lope de Vega’s play Fuente Ovejuna he focuses on honor. One way he concentrates on honor is through Laurencia and through her speech. She is a peasant-women and the daughter of Esteban, the magistrate. Honor is discussed in numerous ways in this text. Vega uses characters with different viewpoints on honor and whom they should be honoring to show his readers how he feels about honor. Laurencia takes honor very seriously. Laurenica has pride in herself and how she should be treated as a woman and a daughter. Laurenica believes honor is something people should have, use and value no matter their gender or socioeconomic status. Laurencia was a peasant but not your standard peasant. She is a strong willed, independent and opinionated, things

Laurencia compares Esteban to timid hares, and barbarians and insults him by saying their swords are “ornaments that serve no purpose.” This was a very insulting comment coming from his daughter and it probably made him question weather or not he was an honorable man after all. This is all done so that Laurenica can show Esteban how he has wronged her. She compares him to animals to belittle him She goes on to say that they should be stoned for their lack of actions and calls them “men who are not

The people of Fuente Ovejuna that are “higher up” than the peasants go along with the Commander even when they know he is doing something corrupt. In the book it depicts Fernán Gómez as being known for pushing himself on women that do not want to be involved with him. He repeatedly attempts to pursue Laurencia because of how beautiful she is. The first time Laurencia turns down the Commander’s request to be with her is on page 19 when he asks her and Pascuala to come in and they decline. The Commander becomes outraged and asks Flores “why aren’t they doing what I say?” Flores responds by grabbing the women even though it does not say so Vega portrays this by Laurenica saying “Get your hands off us!” Laurencia and Pascuala end up not being taken away by Flores and before exiting Laurencia says, “Let’s hope he chokes!” talking about the Commander. This is the first time Vega shows the Commander trying to use his status to have power over Laurencia. She does not care who he is; she values herself as a woman and refuses to let him tell her what to do. The way she reacts to the Commander’s request shows how she honors herself as a woman and even as a peasant, because most peasant women jump at the opportunity to gain attention from the Commander even if they have to do debatable