How did ideas about honour differ for men and women in Lope de Vega’s dramas?

In the dramas of Lope de Vega, the concept of honour, or pundonor, was deeply rooted in a gender-based code that placed distinct expectations on men and women.1

For women, honour was fragile and served as a repository for the entire family’s reputation. A woman’s virtue was considered so delicate that even the slightest indiscretion could result in the total loss or tarnishing of that honour.1

In contrast, the broader social and dramatic framework often treated honour as a matter of public perception and action. While women were the primary guardians of this domestic and moral integrity, the cloak-and-sword drama—a genre that flourished under Lope—frequently utilized "false alarms about honour" as a plot device to drive intrigue and suspense. In these works, the entangled relationships between the sexes were central, often highlighting the tension between personal desire and the rigid social expectations that defined the era's understanding of honour.1