Contextual approach
- 2. ALL ABOUT THE AUTHOR • Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra • Born: September 29, 1547 • He was born in Alcala de Henares, Spain • He died April 23, 1616
- 3. CERVANTES- EARLY YEARS • His father was a poor deaf Spanish Surgeon, • They struggled financially, and moved around a lot • He liked to read a lot as a child • Spain at the time was changing from the being chivalrous to Spain becoming a powerful nation and going into the renaissance. • Spanish literature still was full of chivalry thought • Which is thought to be why there is so much talk about Chivalry in Don Quixote
- 4. GOLDEN ERA • The Golden Age was a time in Spanish Literature • It was from 16th century to the late 17th century • It was time for patriotic and religious freedoms • It had realism and a new interest in epics • This was the end of Chivalrous novels and pastoral novels.
- 5. MILITARY CAREER • Cervantes joined the army when he was twenty-one and fought against Turkey as sea and then Italy on land. • In 1575, Cervantes was captured by pirates and was then sold as a slave to the Moors. • He attempted to escape 3 times before he ransomed in 1580, when he returned to Spain. • In late 1580s he worked as a commissary for the Spanish Armada. • He collected taxes from many towns which led him to write about some of the people he saw.
- 6. CERVANTES: A WRITER? • In 1605, Cervantes published the first volume of Don Quixote. • This allowed him to finally achieve financial success • Don Quixote became an instant success • The first part was such a success it was quickly translated into English and French • Avellaneda, an author, wrote a unauthorized sequel, due to the popularity of the novel. • The sequel to Don Quixote was published in 1615.
- 7. DON QUIXOTE • Many people enjoyed the book but there was a few people who did not • The aristocracy did not like it because it basically made fun of the ideals they cherished. • Don Quixote is considered to be one of the greatest and most important pieces of Spanish literature • It was also the first modern novel.
- 8. WHAT DOES IT MEAN? • People have different interpretations of Don Quixote • Some think of it as a parody of chivalry and how it is nothing like real love • Or even how it makes fun of the social class structure • Cervantes shows that there is actually similarities and differences between fantasy and real life.
- 9. WORKS CITED • "Don Quijote de la Mancha, Cervantes - Spanish Literature | don Quijote." donQuijote. N.p., n.d. Web. . <http://www.donquijote.org/spanishlanguage/literature/history/quijote>. • "Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra." 2014. The Biography.com website. Apr 16 2014http://www.biography.com/people/miguel-de-cervantes-9242997.