Love and Respect Theme Analysis

The two primary romantic couples in Fuente Ovejuna are the villagers Laurencia and Frondoso and King Fernando and Queen Isabel. Both of these relationships are based in deep mutual respect: Frondoso protects Laurencia from the Commander and always considers what she wants in their relationship, while Fernando and Isabel value each other’s wise counsel and are openly affectionate toward each other. Outside of romantic love, the townspeople’s love for each other is also based in mutual respect—like when Esteban, Laurencia’s father, expresses his love for Frondoso when Frondoso does him the courtesy of asking permission to marry Laurencia. This contrasts with the Commander, who often expresses sexual desire by abducting and raping the village women, leading the villagers to rise up against him. In exploring different ways of expressing love and desire, the play suggests that harmonious love requires mutual respect, while lust without respect only creates discord.

Laurencia and Frondoso’s relationship illustrates how true love is based on mutual respect, and that kind of love will in turn lead to harmony. At first, Frondoso declares his love for Laurencia openly, but she never really considered marrying him. However, after Frondoso protects Laurencia from the Commander’s assault, she grows immediately fonder of Frondoso and agrees to marry him, amazed that he would prioritize her safety over his own. Thus, Frondoso’s love and respect for Laurencia inspires her own love for him, showing how respect in a relationship provides a strong foundation for mutual love. Moreover, after Laurencia agrees to marry Frondoso, he asks her father, Esteban, for her hand in marriage. Esteban says he is “grateful to [Frondoso’s] love / That [he] has shown such honesty” and tells Frondoso he can marry Laurencia. Thus, the respect that Frondoso affords not only Laurencia but her father bolsters Frondoso’s bond with his future father-in-law, which makes their marriage even more joyful as a result. Then, when Frondoso and Esteban discuss the issue of a dowry, Esteban suggests asking Laurencia what she thinks of the matter. Frondoso replies, “Of course / No point in going against a person’s wishes.” Frondoso’s regard for Laurencia directly opposes the Commander’s lack of respect for Laurencia’s wishes (as he forces himself on her despite her protests). The fact that Frondoso is the person who wins Laurencia’s love, then, illustrates the importance of love and mutual respect in a strong, happy relationship.

Queen Isabel and King Fernando’s relationship echoes Laurencia and Frondoso’s, and they demonstrate how mutual respect not only leads to harmony in marriage but also harmony in society. In the first scene between Isabel and Fernando, they discuss how best to defeat King Alonso’s army, and Isabel gives input freely on Fernando’s strategy. When she suggests that Fernando strike Ciudad Real immediately, Fernando agrees, preparing Manrique to leave without “a moment’s respite,” saying that this is the “best way forward.” Even though Fernando has greater power as a male monarch in this time period (the 15th century), Fernando values Isabel’s tactical opinions and insight, showing the respect he affords her. It is well-known throughout Spain that Isabel and Fernando have a strong bond. Frondoso sings a song with lyrics stating that Fernando and Isabel “suit each other very well,” and that Saint Michael, who guards the gates of Heaven, will one day let them in. The song implies that their mutual respect and admiration not only makes their love strong but also makes them worthy of Heaven. The King and Queen’s love is evident when they reunite at the end of the play in Fuente Ovejuna after traveling separately to the town—seemingly not having seen each other for some time. Fernando comments that it is “a joy to see [her] once again,” and Isabel responds that it is a “welcome opportunity.” Isabel then reports that Manrique was able to take back Ciudad Real, and that Castile is at peace. The King replies, “You are the one / Who fought to bring that peace.” Thus, their mutual respect and love not only gives them a strong marriage, but the play also suggests that by working together (Isabel giving guidance and the King giving orders), they create greater harmony throughout Spain at large.

The love between the two primary couples of the play contrast with the Commander’s sexual desire, as his disrespectful treatment of the women in the town causes complete disorder—even resulting in his own death. Throughout the play, the Commander assaults women in the town, including Laurencia. Unlike Frondoso, who makes sure he has Laurencia’s consent in their relationship, the Commander has no such respect for Laurencia. When he comes upon her in the woods, he immediately assaults her and tells her there’s “no point resisting”—clearly indicating that she is fighting his advances and that he plans to overpower her anyway. But with Frondoso’s help, Laurencia is able to escape, and Frondoso nearly kills the Commander as a result. This sequence shows how the Commander’s disrespect prevents him from satisfying his lust and even endangers him. Laurencia is not the only woman the Commander abuses—he even admits, “I love / These easy women well and pay them ill,” suggesting that he does not pay any respect to the women in town as he pursues them. Ultimately, however, the women and the men retaliate for this abuse, killing the Commander. Thus, the Commander’s lack of respect for others not only prevents him from forming a true, loving relationship but causes so much disorder in the town that the villagers feel they have to murder him to stop him. As the two primary couples in the play demonstrate, the best foundation for harmony both in society and in a relationship is through love that’s built on mutual respect.