Miguel de Cervantes: Life, Works, and Don Quixote Analysis
The Era of Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes’ life spanned the transition between the Renaissance and the Baroque periods. Born in 1547 and died in 1616, his work reflects this era of change and crisis, often drawing from his personal experiences.
Life
Cervantes had a turbulent life marked by travel and economic hardship. He was exiled to Italy, served as a soldier in the Battle of Lepanto and naval expeditions, was held captive in Algiers for five years, worked as a tax collector in Andalusia, and was imprisoned in Seville. Recognition as a writer came only late in his life.
Works
He wrote stories, plays, and poetry, but is best known as a narrator, particularly for Don Quixote. This novel is a culmination of previous narrative forms and a pivotal work for the evolution of the genre.
Theater
As a playwright, he is known for his entremeses, short humorous pieces that developed the model of Lope de Rueda. He also wrote tragedies and comedies.
Poetry
His poetry is modeled after Renaissance lyricism. Although considered inferior to his prose, it sometimes achieves remarkable quality, especially in ballads and burlesque poetry.
Novel
Cervantes is essential for the development of the novel in Spanish literature. He adapted the Italian novella with his novels, beginning with Don Quixote. He also wrote the pastoral novel, La Galatea, and the Byzantine novel, The Trials of Persiles and Sigismunda.
Don Quixote
In Don Quixote, Cervantes satirizes the romances popular in his time. The novel chronicles the adventures of a gentleman who loses his mind due to his excessive fondness for chivalric books. He imagines himself a knight, leaves his village in search of adventures, accompanied by his squire, Sancho Panza. The story follows their adventures and misadventures.
Structure
Don Quixote was published in two parts: the first (1605) relates two outings or trips of the protagonist (chapters 1-6), and the second (1615) provides a single trip, the third exit, which occupies 74 chapters of the book (chapters 7-52).
The Novels Within the Novel
Don Quixote recreates and parodies the world of chivalric books.
The Narrator
Paraphrasing the books of chivalry, the narrator pretends to collect data on its protagonist in the archives of La Mancha.
Intent of Don Quixote
Cervantes stated that he wrote Don Quixote as a critique of chivalric books.
Don Quixote and Sancho Panza
A great value of the novel is the protagonist couple. The interpretation of these characters has varied greatly, with each reading offering a different perspective. They are often seen as the antithesis between madness and sanity, between utopian idealism and realistic materialism. Don Quixote is the model of a noble, idealistic, and kind man, but alienated in all matters concerning the world of chivalry. Sancho represents the common man, with practical wisdom and a materialistic outlook.
Meaning of Don Quixote
Initially, it was very successful as a humorous novel. Over time, its interpretation has changed. Like classical works, the novel reflects the complexity of human beings.