An honorable person is someone to be admired and emulated, certainly not castigated. In Victor Hugo's Hernani three of the four central characters are anything but honorable for much of the play. Although Don Carlos, Hernani and Dona Sol have moments where they display admirable traits, this behavior is not consistent on their part. Don Ruy Gomez de Silva on the other hand, repeatedly values his honor and the honor of his ancestors above all else, expecting nothing less from those he deals with.
             Much like the character Alceste in Moliere's Misenthrope, you know exactly what you can expect from Don Ruy. No matter what situation he is in, or what the moral fiber of the people he deals with, de Silva does not waiver in his convictions. By comparison, much of what Don Carlos, Hernani and Dona Sol do is for personal gratification.
             When reading this play, people have a tendency to judge the characters by today's standards. One must look to the period this play is set in to understand and accept much of what offends today's reader. Dona Sol is a young niece of Don Ruy's and she is also engaged to marry him even though he is many years her senior. There is nothing wrong or unusual about this. Marrying a relative was common and perfectly acceptable in the Renaissance period, the setting for this play. In royal courts, nobility was rarely allowed to marry without the approval of the reigning King or Queen. In fact, should a member of the royal court enter into a marriage not approved or arranged by the throne, they quickly found themselves out of favor with that ruler and banned from the royal court in Spain, England and other monarchies. To be banned from royal court was to be ostracized by everyone of nobility lest that person also suffer the wrath of the monarchy. Having this happen in the 1500's !
             can be likened to being declared a communist in Hollywood in the 1950's. One day you're a popular, sought-after talent, the ...