Research the role of Cardinal de Richelieu, who was chief minister of France during the production of Le Cid. What were Richelieu's objections or criticisms of the play? What did he do to try to stop this play? How did this affect the play and Corneille?

Read at least two different historical representations of the Spanish hero El Cid. How do they differ in the details of this man's life and his accomplishments? Make sure you find two contrasting sources. One might lean toward a Muslim interpretation whereas the other might be influenced by a Catholic view.

Give a presentation to your class about the political atmosphere of eleventh-century Spain. How much control of Spain did the Moors have at that time? When and how did their power collapse? How did Spain unite all the separate cultures and divided kingdoms?

In his...