El Cid
El Cid's given name was Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar; the moniker "El Cid", which means "my lord", was given to him by the Moors after they lost several battles to him and his men. He is an honorable man but his enemies seem to think that the easiest way to neutralize him is to impugn his honor. This seems quite effective, and he finds himself exiled under a cloud of suspicion; as the collector of dues from the Moorish territory for the king, it is said that he is skimming some of the money for himself. Ironically although he never touched a penny of the money that was intended for the king, he got very rich from the spoils of raids in the Moorish territory during his exile from Castilla.
El Cid is a great soldier, with enormous courage and great strategic skill. He defends the city of Valencia and defeats the Almoravids, which earns him back the favor of the king who is so grateful for these actions that he gives his blessing for El Cid's daughters to marry the infantes of Carrion. Although these marriages are unsuccessful due to the very low character of the infantes, El Cid's daughters subsequently marry the sons of the kings of Navarra and Aragon which unites all of the regions of Spain into one and strengthens the new country against the threat of the Muslim forces who cannot beat them in battle. This is the main reason for the reverence given to El Cid, even today, because without him it is believed that there would be no unified Spain at all.
King Alfonso VI
Although the history books tell us the King Alfonso VI was a great king, and a revered one too, the text also suggests that he was too easily swayed by his advisors who did not always have the best of intentions when they supplied him with information. He was also too quick to trust his nephews, the infantes, believing them when they tell him that El Cid is stealing from him. Quick to judgement he exiles El Cid from Castillia, but is fortunate that El Cid is an honorable man and a loyal citizen; after he learns that El Cid has defended Valencia he realizes that the rumors of his disloyalty may have been exaggerated, or false, and pardons him, also promising that his nephews will marry El Cid's daughters. This is intended to be an honor and a privilege although it is anything but given the cowardly personalities that are his nephews.
King Alfonso VI never distrusted El Cid again and is firmly on his side regarding the issue of the infantes and their behavior towards El Cid's daughters. He is credited as being the King who brought the corners of Spain together but he would not have been able to do this without El Cid.
The Infantes of Carion
The Infantes are the King's nephews and are failing to live up to what is expected of them. They are the opposite of honorable. They work against El Cid, spreading rumors about him and telling the king that El Cid is stealing from him. They are absolute cowards and their cowardice is displayed in public when they run away from a lion that has made its way into the court. They also dessert their men and run away from battle.
The Infantes are spiteful and immature and when they are shown up as cowards decide to avenge themselves by beating their wives (El Cid's daughters) and leaving them at the side of the road tied to a tree. They are then required to defend themselves in a duel which of course they cannot, having no military or dueling skills between them. When they lose, they are shamed once more.
El Cid's Daughters
Although they are not particularly developed characters in the text, El Cid's daughters, Elvira and Sol, are actually extremely important, because it is their politically-beneficial marriages to the princes of Navarra and Aragon respectively that is the catalyst for the unification of the Spanish regions. They are strong, tough women who survive spousal abuse.
