1. Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra 1547-1616
September 29th (assumed)
April 22nd or 23rd

2. 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
Written for paying public

3. Renaissance in Spain Richest, most powerful nation in Europe
Time of exploration
Charles I, king of Spain, was the most powerful man in Europe
Cervantes was born at a time when Spain was the richest, most powerful nation in Europe
Charles I was an inspiring king—known for his bravery in battle

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

5. 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”
Apothecary (barber/doctor/surgeon).
Despite hidalgo class, yet dogged by poverty and bad luck. His father is imprisoned for debts.
Childhood was in Spain
Joined the “navy”
Maimed in The Gulf of Lepanto

6. The Battle of Lepanto (unknown artist)

7. 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)
On his way home from war, he was captured by Turkish pirates and held in Algiers by pirates. (1575)
Cervantes tried to escape, was recaptured and held in chains. Cervantes was known for his daring escapes.
Finally ransomed by family in Family’s wealth completely depleted.

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

9. Battle of Lepanto

10. 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
Cervantes returned home in 1580, expecting a hero’s welcome.
But he discovered that the Spanish people had forgotten about the war and its heroes.
Married Catalina de Salazar y Palacios in 1584—they never had any children, but Cervantes did have a daughter from a prior relationship, Isabel de Saavedra.

11. 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
Settled down to a literary career in order to support his family—deep debt.
Verse was uninspired; his plays were unsuccessful; his pastoral romance mundane
TO SUPPLEMENT He took a job as commissary for Spanish Armada—collecting grain to feed the army
He also worked as a tax collector

12. 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
But the banker to whom he had entrusted government funds went bankrupt, and deficits were found in Cervantes’ accounts
He was jailed more than once.
Cervantes began writing Don Quixote at this time.
First part appeared in 1605.

13. Popularity of Don Quixote
Popular! Enjoyed by all ages
Cervantes received no royalties
Don Quixote fakes
He died in poverty in April 1616
Novel became quite popular—read and enjoyed by all ages.
Cervantes received no royalties for his works—still poor
Other writers began using DQ as a character, which angered Cervantes
Even though Cervantes became popular and famous, he died in poverty in April 1616.

14. 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)
The first novel (sort of)
Cervantes wrote prose (fiction) which explored the inner mind of a character--this genre is so new, it is eventually called the “novel.”
Encompasses many genres
Lively and rustic dialogue
About a hero who sets out to reinvent his own identity
Buddy genre—Don Quixote and Sancho; knight and squire (hero and side-kick)

15. Don Quixote
Quixotic — exceedingly idealistic; in the grip of misguided idealism
Term “quixotic”—a person who is quixotic is in the grip of misguided idealism
The work depicts the conflict between idealism and realism or illusion and reality

16. 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.
Began as a parody of romance stories popular in Cervantes’ time. Books of chivalry.—Star crossed lovers—a knight and his fair lady.
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.

17. 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)
“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)

18. 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
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.
The literature that had expressed the medieval spirit of chivalry and romance had degenerated by Cervantes’ time.
In addition to chivalric romances, Cervantes parodies the pastoral novel, with the section about Marcela, the shepherdess.

20. 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).

21. 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
Cervantes juxtaposes reality and the high ideal values of chivalry
Chivalry is thus not exactly satirized or parodied, simply judged against modern standards—but alternately, modern standards are judged against chivalry.

22. 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
Cervantes then makes you question which is better- reality or illusion?
Realism or Idealism?
Because in his devout madness Don Quixote will demonstrate faith and commitment to his purpose, although seemingly impossible and outdated it may be.

23. Questions?