Miguel de Cervantes and Lazarillo de Tormes: Spanish Literature
Miguel de Cervantes: Life and Works
Miguel de Cervantes (1547, Alcalá de Henares) was born to a barber-surgeon father and experienced economic difficulties during his childhood in Cordoba, Seville, and Madrid. He was a disciple of López de Hoyos. In 1569, he traveled to Italy and entered the service of Cardinal Acquaviva. He then joined the army and participated in the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.
In 1575, while returning to Spain, he was captured by Barbary pirates. His family paid a ransom for his release, along with his brother’s, after five years. Cervantes attempted to escape multiple times, resulting in harsher imprisonment. Finally, in 1580, he was released and returned to Madrid, where he had little luck finding stable work. He applied for positions in the Indies without success.
In 1584, he married Catalina de Salazar and lived in Esquivias until 1587. He then moved to Seville, where he worked as a supplies commissioner. He was imprisoned in 1592 in Cordoba for selling wheat without authorization and again in 1597 in Seville due to the bankruptcy of the bank where he had deposited funds. In 1604, he moved to Valladolid, and in 1605, he was briefly imprisoned with his family. He finally settled in Madrid in 1606 and died on April 23, 1616.
Cervantes’ Literary Works
Cervantes’ work can be divided into two groups: works influenced by Renaissance models and those following the Romance tradition. He incorporated much of his poetry into his prose, such as in La Galatea, which includes 60 interspersed poems. His most extensive work in verse is Journey to Parnassus (1614), written in tercets. This work features a naval battle between good and bad writers and a critical review of contemporary authors. He also wrote traditional poems, often with a derisive tone, as seen in his Exemplary Novels.
Cervantes’ Theatrical Works
Cervantes’ theatrical works can be divided into two stages:
- First Stage: This period includes many lost works. In Eight Comedies and Eight New Interludes Never Before Performed (1615), he mentions having written 20 to 30 plays between 1580 and 1615. Examples include The Treatment of Algiers and The Siege of Numantia.
- Second Stage: Here, Cervantes adopted the conventions of Lope de Vega’s theater. Examples include The Fun (Moorish atmosphere), Pedro de Urdemalas (customs), The Labyrinth of Love (chivalry), and The Happy Ruffian (saints).
Cervantes found greater success with his interludes, short pieces in verse or prose inspired by Lope de Rueda. These works offer a humorous portrait of the society and customs of the time, notable for their lively characters and dialogue. The Altarpiece of Wonders is a prominent example, using folklore to depict scammers who exploit the obsession with lineage purity, criticizing the false values of those who claim to be “Old Christians”.
The Picaresque Novel: Lazarillo de Tormes
The picaresque novel emerged in 1554 with the publication of Lazarillo de Tormes, marking the beginning of a significant genre during Spain’s Golden Age. This genre presents an antihero and offers a realistic document that reflects the life of the time. It is an autobiographical account of a rogue’s life.
Structure and Themes of Lazarillo de Tormes
Lazarillo de Tormes has an open structure, consisting of loosely connected scenes set in different places and featuring various characters, unified by the presence of the rogue. The novel explores determinism, suggesting that the rogue’s parentage and social origins determine his life’s trajectory.
Authorship and Publication History
- 1554: First three editions published in Burgos, Antwerp, and Alcalá de Henares.
- Believed to have been written after 1525.
- 1605: Attributed to Fray Juan de Ortega by Fray José de Sigüenza.
- 1607: Attributed to Diego Hurtado de Mendoza by Andrés Schott in Hispaniae Clarorum Scriptorum Catalogus.
Content and Style
The work consists of a prologue and seven chapters. Lazarillo writes his story to “Your Grace,” explaining a “case” involving his wife, whom he shares with another man. He justifies his life by describing the societal pressures that led him to his current situation. The novel is considered a precursor to the realistic novel, featuring real locations like the Tormes River and Toledo. Lazarillo provides coherence and believability to the story, portraying his life as an educational process shaped by societal pressures. The characters represent various social strata of the 15th century. The author incorporates folk songs and anecdotes from traditional life.
Themes of Honor and Religion
Lazarillo writes his life story to achieve literary fame and to present his book as an example of virtue overcoming adversity. He attains prosperity, albeit through dishonorable means. Five of Lazarillo’s masters are ecclesiastics, and the novel features anticlerical elements, portraying characters like the cleric of Maqueda (avarice), a friar of La Merced (libertine), and the Archpriest of San Salvador (the other man in the “case”).
Linguistic Style
The novel is written in a conversational and enlightened style, characterized by humility and simplicity. It adheres to the standards of Juan de Valdés’ dialogue language: sobriety, lexical selection, avoidance of neologisms and affectation, and economy of expression. The language reflects the speech of Toledo.
Quality: For half a century after Lazarillo de Tormes, no other picaresque novel appeared until Guzmán de Alfarache.