Miguel de Cervantes

Biography

Childhood

It is supposed that Miguel de Cervantes was born with Alcalá de Henares. The exact day of its birth is unknown, but it is probable that it was born the September 29th, day of celebration of the festival of the archangel Saint Michel, by the tradition to receive the name of the Saint of the day. Miguel de Cervantes was baptized with Alcalá de Henares (Spain) the October 9th 1547 in the parish of Santa María Mayor . In the baptismal certificate one reads:

Sunday, ninth day of October, year of the Lord thousand five hundred and forty seven, was baptized Miguel, wire of Rodrigue Cervantes and his Léonore wife. He was baptized by the reverend Bartolomé Serrano, priest of Our Lord. Witnesses, Baltasar Vázquez, Sexton, and me, which baptized it and signs my name. Serrano graduate.

His/her father, Rodrigo de Cervantes, originating at the same time in Cordoue and Galicia, were surgeon, trade nearer then to the doctor of today. Cervantes had ancestors converted with Christianity in the two branches of its family, like it announced Américo Castro, Daniel Eisenberg. On the contrary, Jean Canavaggio insists on the fact that this ascent is not proven and compares it with Mateo Alemán for which the origins is shown by documents.

His/her mother was Léonore de Cortinas Sánchez, one knows some very little about it, with share the doubts about her origins of converted. His/her brothers and sisters were Andrés (1543); Andrea (1544); Luisa (1546), which became prioress in a convent of Carmelite nuns; Rodrigue (1550), soldier who accompanied it in his captivity with Algiers; Magdalena (1554) and Juan, known only because his/her father mentions it in his will.

One can note that the name “Saavedra” does not appear on any document of the youth of Cervantes, and is not used by his/her brothers and sisters. Its name of birth should have been “Miguel de Cervantes Cortinas”. It started to use the name “Saavedra” only after its return of captivity to Algiers, to perhaps differ from certain a Miguel de Cervantes Cortinas expelled of the court.

Towards 1551, Rodrigo de Cervantes moved with its family with Valladolid. Due to debts, he was imprisoned a few confiscated months and his goods. In 1556 it goes to Cordoue to receive the heritage of Juan de Cervantes, grandfather of the writer, and to flee his creditors.

There do not exist precise data on the beginning of the studies of Miguel de Cervantes, who undoubtedly, never arrived at the university level. It is thought that it could have studied with Valladolid, Cordoue or Seville. It is also possible that it studied in the Society of Jesus, since in the novel the discussion of the dogs he works out a description of a college of Jesuits which seems an allusion to its life of student.

In 1566, it settles with Madrid. It attends the Estudio of the Villa , managed by the professor of grammar Juan López de Hoyos, which published in 1569 a book on the illness and the death of the queen Isabelle de Valois, the third wife of the king Philippe II. López de Hoyos includes in this book three poetries of Cervantes, our expensive and loved disciple . who are its first literary demonstrations.

It is at that time that Cervantes takes taste with the theater while attending the representations of Lope de Rueda and, as it declares it in the second part of Don Quichotte, by the mouth of the main character, “ it iban los ojos trass the farándula ” (it adored the theater world).

Escape in Italy and battles of Lépante

An ordinance of Philippe II going back to 1569 is preserved, in which it is asked to stop Miguel de Cervantes, marked to have wounded in a duel a certain Antonio Sigura, project superintendent. If that related to really Cervantes, it could be the reason which made it flee in Italy. It arrived at Rome in December of the same year. It read over there the poems of knighthood of Ludovico Ariosto and the Dialogs of love of the Jew Séfarade León Hebreo, of inspiration neoplatonician and which will have an influence on its idea of the love. Cervantes was informed of the style and the Italian arts and will always have a very pleasant memory which one will be able to see reappearing, for example in the bachelor of glass , one of his Nouvelles specimens , and which lets himself feel in several allusions present in other works.

It enters then to the service of Giulio Acquaviva which will be cardinal in 1570, and which it probably knew in Madrid. It followed it to Palermo, Milan, Florence, Venice, Parma and Ferrare. It quickly is found soldier in the company of Diego de Urbina, in the regiment of infantry of Miguel de Montcada. It embarks then in the galère Marquise . The October 7th 1571 it takes part in the Bataille of Lépante, as regards Christian army directed by Don Juan of Austria, “wire of the lightning of war Charles Quint, of happy memory” and half-brother of the king. In elaborate legal information eight years later one read:

It is from there that the nickname comes from penguin of Lépante ( el manco of lepante ). The left hand was not cut to him, but it was ankylosée until losing its movement when a lead end divided a nerve to him. These wounds were not too serious, after six months of stay in a hospital of Messine, Cervantes joins again with its military life in 1572. It took share with naval forwardings of Navarino (1572), Corfou, Bizerte, and Tunis (1573). All under the orders of the captain Manuel Sandpapers of León and in the regiment of the very famous Lope de Figuero which appears in the mayor of Zalamea of Pedro Calderón of Barca.

Later, he traversed the principal cities of Sicily and Sardinia, of Genoa and the Lombardy. There remained finally two years with Naples, until in 1575.

Cervantes was then always shown very proud to have taken part in the battle of Lépante, which was for him as he wrote in the prolog of Don Quichotte , more the great event that transfer the centuries spent, present, and which those which come cannot hope .

Captivity in Algiers

During its return since Naples in Spain on board the galère Ground , a Turkish flotilla ordered by Arnaut Mamí made captive Miguel and her Rodrigo brother the September 26th 1575. They were captured with height of Cadaqués de Rosas or Palamós, located on what is called the Costa Brava, they were taken along to Algiers. Cervantes is allotted as a slave to the Greek renegade Dali Mamí. The fact of finding in its possession the letters of introductions which it carried on behalf of gift Juan of Austria and the Duc of Sessa made think of its geôliers that Cervantes was somebody of very important and whom they could obtain a good ransom. They asked for five hundred ecus of gold for its freedom.

During its five years of imprisonment, Cervantes, as a man with the strong and justified spirit, tried to escape from four occasions. To avoid the reprisals on his companions of captivity, it was made responsible for very in front of its enemies. He preferred torture with the denouncement. Thanks to the official sources and the book of brother Diego de Haedo Topography and general history of Algiers (1612), one could obtain important information on his captivity. This information is complementary with its comedies Los tratos of Argel ; baths of Algiers and the relationship to the history of the Prisoner, included in the first part of Don Quichotte between chapters 39 and 41. As, it is for a long time known as the work published by Haedo was not him, thing that itself recognizes. According to Emilio Sola, its author is Antonio de Sosa, Benedictine companion of captivity of Cervantes and dialogist of this same work. It thus seems that the work of Haedo is not any more one confirmation independent of the life of Cervantes to Algiers, but a writing moreover on behalf of Cervantes and who carry to naked his heroism.

The first attempt at escape was a failure, because the accomplice Moor who was to lead Cervantes and his companions to Oran them gave up as of the first day. The prisoners had to turn over to Algiers, where they were locked up and kept better than front. However, the mother of Cervantes had succeeded in joining together a certain quantity of ducats, with the hope to be able to save her two sons. In 1577, after having treated with the geôliers, the quantity of ducats proved insufficient to release the two brothers. Miguel preferred that it is his/her brother who is released, which returned then in Spain. Rodrigo had a plan worked out by his/her brother it to release, him and his fourteen or fifteen other companions. Cervantes was to hide with the other prisoners in a cave, on standby of a Spanish galère which would come to recover them. The galère, indeed, tried had just and approached twice the beach; but finally was taken. The Christians hidden in the cave were also discovered, this because of a traitor, called el Dorador (the Gilder). Cervantes is declared then like the only person in charge of the organization of the escape and to have convinced his/her companions to follow it. The king of Algiers, Azán Bajá, locked up it in his “bath” or prison, charged with chains, where it remained during five months.

The third attempt, conceived by Cervantes with an aim of arriving by the ground until Oran. It sent over there a faithful Moor with letters for Martin de Cordoue, general of this place, by explaining and asking him guides to him. However the messenger was took and the letters discovered. The letters denounced Miguel de Cervantes and showed that it had very gone up. It was condemned to receive two thousand blows of sticks, not received punishment because much interceded in its favor.

The last attempt at escape occurred thanks to an important amount of money which gave him a Valencian merchant who was with Algiers. Cervantes bought a frigate able to transport sixty Christian prisoners. When all was about to succeed, one among those which were to be released, the former Dominican doctor Juan Blanco de Paz, revealed all the plan with Azán Bajá. Like rewards the traitor received one ecu and an earthenware jar for grease. Azán Bajá transferred Cervantes in a sourer prison then, within its palate. Then, it decided to take it along to Constantinople, from where the escape would become a company almost impossible to be realized. Once again, Cervantes assumed all the responsibility.

In May 1580, the fathers Trinitaires, brother Antonio of Bleated and brother Juan Gil arrived at Algiers, this order carried out attempts at release of the prisoners, including by proposing themselves like currency of exchange. Frère Antonio left in a forwarding rescue. Brother Juan Gil, who had only three hundred ecus, tried to save Cervantes, for which one required five hundreds of them. The brother then put himself to collect among the Christian merchants the quantity which missed. He succeeds in joining together them when Cervantes was already in a galère in departure for Constantinople, chartered by Azán Bajá, attached with two chains. Thanks to the five hundred ecus joined together so hard, Cervantes is released the September 19th 1580. The October 24th it returns finally in Spain with other also saved prisoners. It arrives then at Dénia, from where it left for Valence. In November or December, it finds its family with Madrid.

Return in Spain

The December 12th 1584, it Marie with Catalina de Salazar there Palacios in a village close to Tolède named Esquivias. Catalina was an young girl who was not twenty years old and which brought a modest dowry to him. It is thought that this barren union was also a failure. After two years of marriage, Cervantes undertakes great voyages through the Andalusia.

It is probable that Galatea was written between 1581 and 1583, it is its first remarkable literary work. It was published in Alcalá de Henares in 1585. Hitherto it had published only some articles in works of others or collections, which joined together the productions of various poets.

Galatea is divided into six books, but only the “first part” was written. Cervantes promised to give one following work; however, it was never printed. In the prolog, work is described as “eclogue” and he insists on the affection which he always had for poetry. It is a pastoral novel, kind already visited in Spain in the Diana of Jorge de Montemayor. One can guess still there the readings which it could have when he was soldier in Italy.

The marriage with Catalina appearing barren, the husbands separated at the end of two years. Cervantes never speaks about his wife in all her autobiographical texts, although it is the first to have inaugurated the topic of the divorce with the interlude the judge of the divorces then impossible in a catholic country. It is supposed that its marriage was unhappy, whereas in this interlude it supports that más vale el peor concierto/that No el divorcio mejor “better is worth the worst agreement/than the best divorce”.

Last years

In 1587, it travels through the Andalusia as an intendant of the Invincible Armada. He again traverses the way between Madrid and the Andalusia, which passes by the Castille and the English Channel. This route is found in Rinconete and Cortadillo .

It is established then with Seville. Later, he works as a tax collector of the taxes. He is imprisoned in 1597, following the bankruptcy of the bank where he deposited the collected funds. It is there that it would have, according to the prolog of work, imagined the character of Don Quichotte. It is not known if he wants to say in the prolog which he started to write in prison, or if it is only the idea which came to him at this time.

This other imprisonment with Castro del Río (Cordoue) was very short. It does not seem that it never went to the cave of Medrano, with Argamasilla de Alba.

In 1605, it publishes the first part of what will be its masterpiece: the clever hidalgo Don Quichotte of the English Channel . It scoffs there at the most pleasant manner the taste of the romantic and chivalrous adventures which dominated in its time. This work marked the end of realism as a literary esthetics and created the kind of the modern novel which will have a very great influence. The second part does not appear before 1615: the clever knight gift Quichotte of the English Channel . This part leaves two years after the publication of a continuation apocryphal book signed a mysterious Alonso Fernández de Avellaneda which, according to certain historians, would not be other than the writer Lope de Vega, or at least one its disciples and friend, originating in Aragon (one also thinks of a group of friends of Lope).

Two works give him a statute in the history of the universal literature, at the sides of Dante Alighieri, William Shakespeare, Michel de Montaigne and Goethe like an author impossible to circumvent of the Western literature.

Between the two parts of the Don Quichotte , in 1613 the Nouvelles specimens appear. It is a whole of twelve short accounts, written before several years. Its inspiration is original, and it tries various narrative formulas like the lucianesque Satire ( the conference of the dogs ), the picaresque Roman ( Rinconete and Cortadillo ), the miscelánea and mixes it sentences and witty remarks ( the bachelor Vidriera ), the Roman Byzantine ( Spanish English the , the liberal lover ), the Detective novel ( the force of blood ), the narration made up on a Anagnorèse ( small the Gipsy ). For some, such as for example the Jealous one of Estrémadure , one observes an alternate drafting redécouverte at the 19th century, testifies the manuscript to it to Porras of Cámara . This collection of news would have is enough to give him an important statute in the history of the literature Castilian.

Literary criticism is a constant in its work. It appears in the Galatea and Don Quichotte . It devotes the to him Voyage from Parnassus (1614), long poem in connected Tercets. In 1615 it publishes Eight comedies and eight new interludes ever represented , but its most popular drama today, the head office of Numance , more than the treaty of Algiers , remained new until the 18th century.

The novel Work of Spotted and Sigismonde appears one year after its death, its dedication with the Count de Lemos was signed only two days before its death. This Roman Byzantine, which claims to compete with the Greek traditional model of Héliodore, knew some additional editions at its time; but she was forgotten and erased by the indisputable triumph of the Don Quichotte . Cervantes uses a group of characters as discussion thread of work, instead of two. It anticipates the magic Réalisme thus. In a certain manner, it christianizes the original model by using the Cliché of the homo viator , by reaching the culminating point at the end of work with the Anagnorèse of both in love, called hitherto Pérandre and Auristelle in the town of Rome:

Actually, this novel is of very complex structure and intention but supports however a satisfactory interpretation.

The influence of Cervantes in the universal literature was such as the Spanish is often named the “language of Cervantes”.

He died in Madrid in 1616.

Artistic range

By parodying a declining kind, like the tale of chivalry , it created another extremely long-lived kind, the polyphonic novel, where the points of view are superimposed which go until merging in a complex way with reality itself, while playing with the fiction. At the time epic poetry could be also written in prose, and with the precedent of Lope de Vega with the theater, not very respectful from the traditional models, it resulted from it the realism resulting from a Spanish literary long tradition, which popularized it in Europe, where Cervantes had more disciples than in Spain. The entire realistic novel is marked by this masterpiece. In addition, another important work of Cervantes, the New specimens , shows the broad-mindedness and its desire to try out the narrative structures.

On the European currency

Its face, according to the portrait supposed of Jaúregui, figure on the parts of 10,20 and 50 centimes of euro Spanish.

Publications

Don Quichotte of Mancha published to Madrid in two parts, 1605 and 1615.
Galatée, pastoral novel , 1584.
New specimens , published in 1613.
Spotted and Sigismonde, septentrional history , 1617.
some plays.

Old publications

One gave to Madrid in 1805 a collection of his works, 16 vol. in-8. Don Quichotte was often printed:

Charles III of Spain made some make a splendid edition in 1780, Madrid, 4 vol. in-4;
Diego Clemencín gave of it an edition with comment, Madrid, 1833 - 1835, 6 vol. in-4.

Old translations

It was several times translated into French:

by César Oudin, as of 1616;
by François de Rosset, 1618;
François Filleau of Saint Martin's day, 1677;
Henri Stopper-Dubournial, 1808;
François-Henri-Stanislas of Aulnaye, 1821;
Louis Viardot, 1836 - 1838;
Jean-Joseph-Stanislas-Albert Damas-Hinard, 1847;
Furne, 1858
Aline Schulman, 1997, Paris, Threshold. Translation which proposes the dialogs.

Dubournial translated moreover:

Spotted and Sigismonde , 1809;
Viardot and Romey ;
New (1858).

Alphonse Royer: the Theater , 1862; Joseph-Michel Guardia: the Voyage with the Parnassus , 1864.

Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian imitated with its manner Don Quichotte and Galatée .

Works inspired by Cervantes

the Youth of Cervantès , musical work for reduced orchestra, composed by Paul Ladmirault.

Random links: