Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra 1547 1616 Miguel de

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra 1547 -1616

Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote de la Mancha • Part I of Don Quixote (1605) • Part II of Don Quixote (1615) – Immediately into print – Immediate popular success; slower to achieve critical acclaim

Renaissance in Spain • Richest, most powerful nation in Europe • Time of exploration • Charles I, king of Spain, was the most powerful man in Europe

Center of Cervantes’ World Alcalá de Henares (born here) Madrid (died here) Esquivias, Toledo (married, began Don Quixote, and was imprisoned here)

Life of Cervantes • • • Son of a poor apothecary Part of hidalgo, noble class Spotty education Fought with the Spanish-Venetian-Papal fleet Cervantes was wounded in battle- left hand maimed for life (1571) – lost left hand “for the greater glory of his right hand”

The Battle of Lepanto (unknown artist)

Life of Cervantes • Captured by Turkish pirates and held in Algiers (1575) • Known for his daring escapes attempts • Finally ransomed, depleting his family’s wealth (1580)

Cervantes Travels Esquivias / Madrid / Alcalá de Henares / Algiers / Rome / Lepanto

Battle of Lepanto

Life of Cervantes • No hero’s welcome – the Spanish people had forgotten about the war and its heroes • Married Catalina de Salazar y Palacios (1584) • Cervantes’ daughter from a prior relationship was Isabel de Saavedra

Life of Cervantes • Deep debt = begin a literary career! – Verse was uninspired – Plays were unsuccessful – Pastoral romance mundane • Commissary for the Spanish Armada • Tax collector • Applied to go to New World

Life of Cervantes • But the banker to whom he had entrusted government funds went bankrupt, and deficits were found in Cervantes’ accounts • Jailed more than once • Cervantes began writing Don Quixote at this time • First part appeared in 1605

Popularity of Don Quixote • • Popular! Enjoyed by all ages Cervantes received no royalties Don Quixote fakes He died in poverty in April 1616

Don Quixote • • The first novel (sort of) Consists of many genres Lively and rustic dialogue A hero who sets out to reinvent his own identity • Buddy genre—Don Quixote and Sancho; knight and squire (hero and side-kick)

Don Quixote • Quixotic — exceedingly idealistic; in the grip of misguided idealism

Parody or Satire • Parody of romance stories popular in Cervantes’ time, books of chivalry • Parody—a magnification of the characteristics of a particular style to the point at which its absurdity becomes unmistakable. • Satire may be a more appropriate term. • Satire aims to expose an object or a person to ridicule and censure with implicit reference to a higher standard of conduct.

More on Satire • “Genre of comedy directed at ridiculing human foibles and vices, such as vanity, hypocrisy, stupidity, and greed” • Differs from pure comedy in that its aim is “not simply to evoke laughter, but to expose and censure such faults, often with the aim of correcting them. ” – But you will laugh. (Hamilton, Sharon. Essential Literary Terms)

Writing about chivalry in 1600 • In 1600, Cervantes was further removed in time from the feudal world of Song of Roland or the earliest Arthurian legends than we are from him or Shakespeare • Books of chivalry had degenerated • Parodies the pastoral novel with the section about Marcela, the shepherdess

Overt Purpose behind Don Quixote To satirize or parody the genre of chivalric romance by showing what would happen if anyone were insane enough to take romantic, chivalric, courtly love conventions seriously and to try to live by them in the modern world (of 1600).

What happens to that satiric purpose? • Cervantes juxtaposes reality and the high ideal values of chivalry • Chivalry is judged against modern standards —but alternately, modern standards are judged against chivalry

Effect on reader of Don Quixote • Cervantes then makes you question which is better— – Reality or illusion? – Realism or Idealism? • In his assumed madness, Don Quixote will demonstrate unwavering commitment to his purpose, although seemingly impossible and outdated it may be

Questions?