Honor Makes A Men Character Analysis

Honor can also be seen in Don Rodrigo’s character in the play. His main purpose in the play is to get his daughter, Doña Leonor, married to the man she ran away with. He does not want her to ruin his honor in the society, “As you [Don Pedro] know, honour is such a precious gem that all noble and worthy men must protect it at all costs. Honour is a crystal so finely polished that though a blow to its perfection might not break it, breath alone will sully it”( Inés 101). The diamond is a symbol for men’s honor. He is saying that even something as small as a “breath” can tarnish a man’s honor. This is why he does not care who Doña Leonor marries, as long as she marries before people find out that she ran away with a man. A daughter’s sexuality can tarnish the whole family’s reputation and honor in a society.
Furthermore, when Don Rodrigo speaks in the play, the word honor comes up multiple times throughout the dialogue. The repetition of the word honor throughout the play, especially when Don Rodrigo speaks, goes to show the importance of honor, and it shows the power honor has in the society, as Don Rodrigo does not care about Doña Leonor’s life after she marries someone she might not love. He would rather keep his honor then let his own daughter decide what is best for her in her life. Honor comes before anything else in a person’s life, which can also be seen in colonial Mexico. Honor and gender come together in this piece of literature by showing the reader how honor is both important in a woman’s life and in a man’s life. However, it also shows that honor in a man’s life can have a greater control on a woman’s life. No matter what Doña Leonor is going to say or do, Don Rodrigo is going to make her marry a man. It does not matter who she is going to marry, but she is going to marry