Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

1
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

• (Sept 29, 1547 April 23, 1616)

2

• Was born to a poor family in the university town
  of Alcalá de Henares, outside of Madrid, Spain.

3
(No Transcript)
4
http//travel.webshots.com/photo/12970739920659799
46wtUGNk
5
http//www.google.com/imgres?imgurlhttp//www.pan
oramio.com/photos/original/19055104.jpg
6
www.panoramio.com/photos/original/2449682.jpg
7
(No Transcript)
8
Miguel de Cervantes

• Was born to a poor family in the university town
  of Alcalá de Henares, outside of Madrid, Spain.
• Became a soldier.
• Fought against the Ottoman Empire in 1571 at the
  Battle of Lepanto.
• Lost the use of his left hand during this battle.
• Was captured by Barbary pirates on his return
  home.
• Was held as a slave for five years.
• Was ransomed in 1580 by his family and friends.

9
Miguel de Cervantes

• Returned to Spain.
• Expected to gain employment with a noble family.
• Took a government job as a tax collector.
• Was imprisoned several times for unsatisfactory
  explanations of his tax-collecting activities
• Cervantes probably came up with the idea for Don
  Quixote while he was in jail.
• The first part of the story was published in
  1605.
• Was an immediate success

10
Miguel de Cervantes

• Unauthorized editions began to appear which,
  combined with Cervantes poor money-managing
  skills, never earned him substantial wealth from
  the enormous success of the work.
• Was first translated into English in 1612.
• This work has had a tremendous influence on all
  areas of art (operas, movies, ballets, musicals,
  painting, sculpture).
• Inspired the Broadway musical Man of La Mancha in
  1965.
• Gustave Doré 16th century French artist

11
Don Quixote de la Mancha

• While in prison, Cervantes came up with the idea
  for a story about a man who thinks that he is a
  knight-errant who performs feats of valor.
• The story describes the adventures of an
  idealistic Spanish nobleman who has read so many
  books of chivalry (the code of knight-hood) that
  he believes hes a knight who must fight against
  the worlds injustices

12
Don Quixote de la Mancha

• He travels with his squire (a knights helper),
  Sancho Panza, who is an uneducated, but practical
  and realistic peasant.
• Don Quixotes horse is named Rocinante.
• Don Quixotes lady fair is named Dulcinea del
  Toboso.

13
Don Quixote de la Mancha

• Don Quixote has an idealistic view of the world.
• Sancho Panza has a realistic view of the world.
• The pair represents the struggle between idealism
  (living under very high standards being a
  dreamer) and realism.

14
Don Quixote de la Mancha

• Modern critics disagree about the reason that
  Cervantes wrote Don Quixote de la Mancha.
• He says in the prologue (an introduction by the
  author) that hes writing the story to destroy
  the popularity of the romances of chivalry.
• Throughout the book he does parody (make fun of)
  these kinds of writings.

15
Don Quixote de la Mancha

• Many critics believe that the story is an
  allegory (symbolic of truths and generalizations
  of the human experience).
• They think it might represent the eternal human
  quest for goodness and truth in the face of
  insurmountable obstacles.
• Some critics think that this work is a tragedy,
  even though it is satirical (uses sarcasm to
  point out faults) and comical in many episodes.

16
CHARACTERS

• Don Alonzo Quijana
• Sancho Panza
• Don Quixote
• Rocinante
• Antonia
• The Barber
• The Priest
• Aldonza

• Dulcinea del Toboso
• Malfato
• Samson Carasco
• Mambrino / Reinaldo the Bald
• The Knight of Mirrors
• The Duke Duchess
• The Knight of the White Moon

17
Discussion Question

• List 3 different examples of the conflict of
  idealism versus realism in Don Quixote de la
  Mancha. Be sure to give SPECIFIC DETAILS from
  the story and make sure that your examples are
  distinct, separate, and specific.

18
Discussion Question

• The theme of a story is the central message or
  insight into life revealed by a literary work.
  What do you think is the most probable theme for
  Don Quixote de La Mancha? Give reasons and
  support for your answer from the story .

19
You should listen for this quote

• My intention is to do wrong to no man but good
  to all the world. Are you all so content with
  your lives of safety and comfort? Are eating and
  sleeping enough for you? Do you not yearn for a
  voyage in discovery, of adventures, of great
  deeds, lasting fame, and battles for truth and
  justice? Judge me as a man who believes in the
  life of a knight-errant, to be cast off and set
  aside as a fool.

20
You should listen for this quote

• I can still set the world to right because I can
  still dream!

21
For each quote, you should be able to tell

• Who said it?
• To whom did he/she say it?
• Under what circumstances did he/she say it?
• What did the speaker mean?
• How or why is this quote important or significant
  to the story?

22
Discussion Question

• At the end of the story Don Quixote says to
  Aldonza, I think you are both. What was he
  talking about? What did he mean? Do you agree
  with him or not? Why or why not?