Miguel de Cervantes and Don Quixote
Miguel de Cervantes and Don Quixote
Cervantes’s Life and Times
Miguel de Cervantes’s life spanned two distinct periods: the Renaissance, characterized by idealism and natural language, and the Baroque, marked by pessimism and artificial language. Born in 1547 and died in 1616, his work reflects this shift, with Don Quixote epitomizing the transition. His personal experiences often became literary material.
Raised in the Renaissance humanist tradition, Cervantes witnessed the political decline of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, a decline mirrored in the Baroque’s pessimistic culture. Despite lacking a university education, he was a man of great culture.
At 18, following a street fight, Cervantes went to Italy and served Cardinal Acquaviva. He later enlisted as a soldier, fighting heroically in the Battle of Lepanto (1571), where he was wounded in the chest and left hand. This battle, a pivotal moment in Spanish history, remained a source of pride for Cervantes.
Returning to Spain, he and his brother Rodrigo were captured by pirates in 1575 and imprisoned in Algiers for five years. His captivity, with its escape attempts, inspired works like The Baths of Algiers and The Treatment of Algiers, as well as the captive’s tale in Don Quixote.
After his release, Cervantes struggled to find stable employment. He worked as a tax collector but faced financial difficulties and imprisonment. It’s believed that Don Quixote began to take shape during this time. His experiences in Seville, both traveling and in jail, exposed him to a diverse range of people who later appeared as characters in his work.
The publication of the first part of Don Quixote in 1605 brought him great success, allowing him to publish more of his writings. Despite this, he continued to face financial challenges, seeking patronage from nobles like the Conde de Lemos, to whom he dedicated his final work, Persiles and Sigismunda.
Cervantes’s Works
While Cervantes wrote stories, plays, and poetry, he is best known for Don Quixote, a novel that summarizes and revolutionizes the narrative tradition.
Theater
Cervantes wrote humorous short pieces called entremeses, following the style of Lope de Rueda. He also wrote tragedies in the classic Renaissance style and comedies and farces, adapting to the popular new formula of Lope de Vega.
In 1615, he published Eight Comedies and Eight Interludes. Some, like The Baths of Algiers and The Great Sultana, are set in Moorish environments, while others, like Pedro de Urdemalas, have picaresque elements. His interludes, depicting everyday life with varied and amusing characters, were particularly successful.
Poetry
Cervantes followed Renaissance poetic models, though his poetry is generally considered less accomplished than his prose. His poems often appeared within his prose works, such as La Galatea. Journey to Parnassus, a satirical poem, offers commentary on the poetry of his time.
Novels
Cervantes’s novels were crucial to the development of the genre. Besides introducing the Italian novella to Castilian literature with his Exemplary Novels, he also pioneered the modern novel with Don Quixote.
- La Galatea (1585): A pastoral romance, a popular Renaissance genre, showcasing Cervantes’s knowledge of Italian literature. He intended a second part but never completed it.
- Exemplary Novels (1613): A collection of short stories, marking the first appearance of this genre in Castilian. These stories, ranging from idealistic to realistic, often have a happy ending. Notable examples include “The Gypsy Girl,” “The Liberal Lover,” “The Jealous Extremaduran,” “Rinconete and Cortadillo,” and “The Glass Graduate.”
- Persiles and Sigismunda (1617): A Byzantine romance, published posthumously. While well-structured and lyrical, it did not achieve the success of his other works.
Don Quixote
Don Quixote satirizes chivalric romances, following the adventures of a nobleman driven mad by reading too many such books. He sets out on a series of quests, accompanied by his squire, Sancho Panza.
The first part, The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha (1605), was a huge success. A second part, The Ingenious Knight Don Quixote of La Mancha (1615), followed, prompted in part by a spurious sequel by Avellaneda. Cervantes’s second part concludes with Don Quixote’s death.
The novel’s structure is episodic, with interspersed stories and digressions. Dialogue plays a significant role, contributing to the character development. The narrative is complex, with multiple narrators and a blend of realism and fantasy.
Don Quixote and Sancho Panza represent contrasting perspectives: idealism versus pragmatism, madness versus sanity. Their relationship evolves throughout the novel, with each influencing the other.
The publication of Don Quixote was a landmark event in Spanish literature. Its enduring popularity and influence have cemented its place as one of the greatest novels ever written.