Spanish literature

Saavedra Miguel Cervantes

Biography

Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel de (1547-1616), Spanish writer. Born in Alcala de Henares (Prov. Madrid). His father, Rodrigo de Cervantes, was a humble surgeon, and a large family constantly lived in poverty, which did not leave the future writer throughout his sorrowful life. Very little is known about his childhood, other than that he was baptized on October 9, 1547; the next documentary evidence about him, about twenty years later, calls him the author of a sonnet addressed to Queen Isabella of Valois, third wife of Philip II; shortly thereafter, while studying at the City College of Madrid, he is mentioned in connection with several poems on the death of the Queen (3 October 1568).

Cervantes studied, probably in fits and starts, and it did not come to an academic degree. Not finding a livelihood in Spain, he went to Italy and in 1570 decided to serve in the service of Cardinal J. Aquaviva. In 1571 he was a soldier of a naval expedition, which the Spanish king, pope and seigneur of Venice were preparing against the Turks. Cervantes fought bravely at Lepanto (7 October 1571); one of the wounds he received crippled his hand. He went to Sicily to recover and remained in southern Italy until 1575, when he decided to return to Spain, hoping to be rewarded with the post of captain in the army. On September 26, 1575, the ship on which he sailed was captured by Turkish pirates. Cervantes was taken to Algeria, where he stayed until September 19, 1580. In the end, Trinitarian monks bought him with money collected by the Cervantes family. He counted on a decent reward upon returning home, but his hopes were not justified.

In 1584, 37-year-old Cervantes married in Esquivias (province of Toledo) to 19-year-old Catalina de Palacios. But family life, like everything with Cervantes, went by fits and starts, he spent many years away from his wife; Isabel de Saavedra, his only child, was born of an extramarital affair.

In 1585, Cervantes became commissioner for the purchase of wheat, barley and olive oil in Andalusia for the "Invincible Armada" of Philip II. This unremarkable job was also thankless and dangerous. On two occasions, Cervantes had to requisition wheat that belonged to the clergy, and although he followed the king's orders, he was excommunicated. In addition to his misfortunes, he was put on trial, and then in prison, as violations were found in his reports. Another disappointment came with an unsuccessful petition for office in the American colonies of Spain in 1590.

It is believed that during one of his imprisonments (1592, 1597 or 1602) Cervantes began his immortal work. However, in 1602 the judges and courts stopped prosecuting him about the alleged debt to the crown, and in 1604 he moved to Valladolid, where the king was at the time. From 1608 he lived permanently in Madrid and devoted himself entirely to writing and publishing books. In the last years of his life, he had a livelihood mainly thanks to pensions from the Count of Lemos and the Archbishop of Toledo. Died Cervantes in Madrid on April 23, 1616.

These facts give only a fragmentary and approximate idea of ​​the life of Cervantes, but, in the end, the largest events in it were the works that brought him immortality. Sixteen years after the publication of school poems, the First Part of Galatea (La primera parte de la Galatea, 1585) appeared, a pastoral novel in the spirit of Diana H. Montemayor (1559). Its content is made up of the vicissitudes of love of idealized shepherds and shepherdesses. In Galatea, prose alternates with poetry; there are no main characters, no unity of action, the episodes are connected in the most simple way: the shepherds meet each other and talk about their joys and sorrows. The action unfolds against the background of conventional pictures of nature - these are unchanging forests, springs, clear streams and an eternal spring that allows you to live in the bosom of nature. Here the idea of ​​divine grace, sanctifying the souls of the elect, is humanized, and love is likened to a deity that the lover worships and which strengthens his faith and will to live. Faith, born of human desires, was thus equated with religious beliefs, which probably explains the constant attacks by Catholic moralists on the pastoral novel, which flourished and died out in the second half of the 16th century. Galatea is undeservedly forgotten, because already in this first significant work, the concept of life and the world, characteristic of the author Don Quixote, was outlined. Cervantes has repeatedly promised to release the second part, but the sequel never appeared. In 1605, the first part of El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha (El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha) was published, in 1615 the second part appeared. In 1613, Las novelas exemplares were published; in 1614 the Journey to Parnas (Viaje del Parnaso) was printed; in 1615 - Eight comedies and eight interludes (Ocho comedias y ocho entremeses nuevos). The wanderings of Persiles and Sikhismunda (Los trabajos de Persiles y Segismunda) were published posthumously in 1617. Cervantes also mentions the names of several works that have not reached us - the second part of Galatea, Week in the Garden (Las semanas del jardn), Deception of the eye (El engao los ojos) and others. The edifying novellas unite twelve stories, and the edification put out in the title (otherwise, their “exemplary” character) is associated with the “morality” contained in each story. Four of them - El Amante liberal, Senora Cornelia (La Seora Cornelia), Two girls (Las dos donzellas) and English Spanish woman (La Espaola inglesa) - share a common theme, traditional for the Byzantine novel: a pair of lovers separated unfortunate and capricious circumstances, in the end he is reunited and finds the long-awaited happiness. The heroines are almost all perfectly beautiful and highly moral; they and their beloved are capable of the greatest sacrifices and with all their souls are drawn to the moral and aristocratic ideal that illuminates their lives. Another group of "edifying" novellas is formed by the Power of Blood (La fuerza de la sangre), The Noble Dishwasher (La ilustre fregona), The Gypsy Girl (La Gitanilla) and the Jealous Extremadurets (El celoso estremeo). The first three offer stories of love and adventure with a happy ending, while the fourth ends tragically. Rinconete y Cortadillo, El casamiento engaoso, El licenciado vidriera and Conversation between two dogs put more emphasis on the characters of the characters in them than on the action - this is the last group of short stories. Rinconete and Cortadillo is one of Cervantes' most charming works. Two young vagabonds are associated with a fraternity of thieves. The comedy of the solemn ceremony of this gang of thugs is emphasized by Cervantes' dry-humorous tone. Among his dramatic works, the Siege of Numancia (La Numancia) stands out - a description of the heroic resistance of the Iberian city during the conquest of Spain by the Romans in the 2nd century. BC. - and funny sideshows such as the Divorce Judge (El Juez de los divorcios) and the Theater of Miracles (El retablo de las maravillas). Cervantes' greatest work is Don Quixote's one-of-a-kind book. In short, its content boils down to the fact that after reading books about chivalry, the hidalgo Alonso Quihana believed that everything in them was true, and he himself decided to become an itinerant knight. He takes the name of Don Quixote of La Mancha and, accompanied by the peasant Sancho Panza, who serves as his squire, sets out in search of adventure.

Cervantes Saavedra Miguel de was born to a poor Spanish surgeon in 1547. He lived with his large family in the province of Madrid, Alcala de Henares. They baptized Cervantes on October 9, 1547. Due to the poverty of the family, the guy studied in fits and starts. Being broke, he moved to Italy in 1570 and went to serve. From 1570 he entered the ranks of the navy until October 7, 1571, when he was discharged due to an arm injury he received in the battles. He goes to Italy, where he lives until 1575. He is captured by pirates on September 26, 1575, when he sailed to Spain, which took Cervantes to Algeria until 1580 on September 19. Miguel meets Esquivias in the province of Toledo, whom he marries in 1584. Their family life did not work out, Cervantes was often not around, he even had an illegitimate daughter, Isabel de Saavedra. From 1585, Miguel went to work as a commissioner for the purchase of provisions for the army of Philip II, but soon ended up in prison due to violations in his reports. While imprisoned, Cervantes begins to write. He connects prose and poetry, taking as a basis the relationship between a shepherd and a shepherdess. The "First Part of Galatea" is born in 1585. In 1604 he was released, and Miguel moved to Valladolid, and in 1608 to permanent residence in Madrid. He diligently begins to study literature. From under his pen, grandiose masterpieces come out. In 1605 "Don Quixote" was published, in 1613 - "Educational short stories", "Journey to Parnassus" in 1614, and in 1615 the author released the sequel to "Don Quixote", the second part, and "Eight Comedies and Eight Interludes". Cervantes set about writing another book - "The Wanderings of Persiles and Sikhismunda", which he did not manage to print during his lifetime. It was published in 1617.

The poet became the author of many editions and books, which, of course, did not find such fame as Don Quixote, but nevertheless were published: The Generous Admirer, The English Spaniard, The Two Maidens and Senora Cornelia and many others ...

In Spain, 1605 was an exceptionally good year for culture. As for politics and economics, he did not promise anything new to the Spanish people. The empire of Charles V, where "the sun never set," continued to dominate the world stage. However, the foundation for the economic crisis has already begun to be created. But it was still very far from its peak.

The Spanish kingdom waged endless wars on land and at sea. They had one goal - to preserve and further expand their immense possessions in Europe, America, Asia and Africa. Those increased significantly after 1581, when Portugal annexed Spain and transferred all its colonies to it.

During this period of time, victories were won over the insurgent inhabitants of Flanders and the German troops. There was a successful struggle for power in the colonies with England, Holland and France. But all these high-profile events could not be compared in their importance with an event, at first glance, modest and insignificant.

In January 1605, a novel appeared in the bookstores of Madrid by a little-known elderly writer, and besides, a disabled one. This work was called "The cunning hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha". More than 400 years have passed since the publication of this book. Who now remembers Charles V, Philip II, Philip III, other kings and generals? These people got lost in the course of centuries, and the immortal work continues to live a full-blooded life and finds more and more fans.

Who was the author of the great creation? His name was Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra(1547-1616). This man is notable for the fact that need pursued him from birth to the very grave. The writer himself in his poem "Journey to Parnassus" speaks of himself as a man tormented by cursed poverty. Even when he was already at the zenith of fame, they said about him that he was an old man, a soldier, a hidalgo and a poor man.

Upon learning of this, the French exclaimed in bewilderment: "And Spain did not enrich such a great writer and does not support it at the public expense?" To which the Spaniards replied: "The need makes him write great creations. Therefore, praise God that he never lived in wealth, for with his masterpieces, being a beggar, he enriches the whole world."

Biography of Cervantes

Childhood

According to the baptismal record in one of the churches of the city of Alcala de Henares, on September 29, 1547, a boy, the future creator of Don Quixote, was born to the freelance physician Rodrigo de Cervantes and his wife Leonora de Cortinas. In the family, he was the 4th child. In total, there were six children. Three girls and three boys.

On his father's side, the future great writer had a noble origin. But in the 16th century, the clan became impoverished and fell into decay. Rodrigo was deaf and never held any judicial or administrative positions. He became just a doctor, which from the point of view of hidalgia meant practically nothing. The writer's mother also belonged to a poor noble family.

In material terms, the family lived very poorly. Rodrigo, in search of work, constantly moved from city to city, and his wife and children followed him. But eternal need did not bring strife and scandals into family life. Rodrigo and Leonora loved each other, and their children lived as a close-knit team.

Constant relocation had a positive rather than a negative side for little Miguel. Thanks to them, from an early age he got acquainted with the real, and not the ostentatious life of ordinary people.

In 1551, the doctor and his family settled in Valladolid. At that time, this city was considered the capital of the kingdom. But a year passed, and Rodrigo was arrested for non-payment of debts to a local moneylender. The meager property of the family went under the hammer, and a vagrant life began again. The family left for Cordoba, then returned to Valladolid, and then moved to Madrid and finally settled in Seville.

At the age of 10, Miguel entered the Jesuit college. In it, he remained for 4 years from 1557 to 1561 and received his secondary education. Further studies took place in Madrid with the famous Spanish teacher and humanist Juan Lopez de Hoyos. In the meantime, the young man's family was completely ruined. In this regard, Miguel had to think about how to earn his own bread and help an impoverished family.

Youth

Poor nobles at that time had 3 ways: to go to church, to serve at the court or in the army. The future great writer chose the 2nd path. Juan López de Hoyos gave his student a letter of recommendation, and he got a job at the service of the extraordinary ambassador of Pope Pius V, Monsignor Giulio Aquaviv y Aragon. In 1569, together with the ambassador, Cervantes left Madrid for Rome as a camerlegno (key keeper).

The future writer spent a year in the service of Aquaviva, and in 1570 he entered the service of a Spanish regiment stationed in Italy. This gave him the opportunity to visit Milan, Venice, Bologna, Palermo and thoroughly get acquainted with the Italian way of life, as well as the richest culture of this country.

On October 7, 1571, the naval battle of Lepanto took place. In it, the fleet of the Holy League (Spain, the Vatican and Venice) utterly defeated the Turkish squadron, which put an end to the Turkish expansion in the Eastern Mediterranean. However, for Miguel, this battle ended sadly. He received 3 gunshot wounds: two in the chest and one in the left forearm.

The last wound was fatal. The young man practically ceased to wield his left hand "to the greater glory of the right" - as he himself later said. After that, the future great writer ended up in a hospital, where he stayed until early May 1572. But, after being discharged from the hospital, he did not leave military service. He expressed a desire to continue serving, and was enlisted in the regiment stationed on the island of Corfu. On October 2, 1572, he already participated in the Battle of Navarino, and a year later he was sent to North Africa, from where he returned to Italy and continued his military service in Sardinia, and then in Naples.

On September 20, 1575, Miguel, together with his younger brother Rodrigo, who also served in the army, boarded the "Sun" galley and departed for Spain. But this trip ended tragically. The ship was boarded by pirates and brought the captured brothers to Algeria. Miguel had letters of recommendation with him, and the pirates considered him important and wealthy. They demanded a huge ransom for him in the amount of 500 gold escudos.

To make the prisoner pliable, they kept him in chains and with an iron ring around his neck. He wrote letters to his homeland, and the greedy Algerians were waiting for the ransom. So it took 5 long years. During this time, the young man showed himself to be a noble, honest and staunch person. With his courageous behavior, he even earned the respect of such a thug as Hassan Pasha.

In 1577, the family saved up money and bought Rodrigo. Miguel had to wait another long 3 years. The king refused to ransom his loyal soldier, and the family, at the cost of incredible efforts, collected the sum of 3,300 reais. This money was transferred to Hassan Pasha, and he was apparently glad to get rid of the dangerous man. On September 19, 1580, Cervantes was freed from Algerian captivity, and on October 24 he left Algeria to set foot on his native Spanish land a few days later.

Life after captivity

Spain greeted her compatriot unkindly. At home, no one needed him, and the family was in a terrible state. The father became completely deaf and gave up medical practice. He died in 1585. But even before his death, Miguel became the head of the family. To feed himself and his loved ones, he again returned to military service. In 1581 he traveled to North Africa as a military courier and at one time was at the headquarters of the Duke of Alba in Tomar.

At this time, Miguel had an illegitimate daughter, Isavel de Saavedra. In 1584, the future writer married 19-year-old Catalina de Salazar y Palacios. The girl had a small dowry, and the family's financial situation did not improve.

In 1587, Miguel traveled south of the country to Andalusia. It was the center of trade with the American colonies. He opened up great opportunities for commercial initiatives. The writer settled in Seville and got a job as procurement commissioner for the Invincible Armada. It was a Klondike for bribe-takers and unscrupulous individuals. Other food commissioners made a fortune in a year, and Miguel lived on a modest salary and tried to conduct everything honestly.

As a result, he made a lot of enemies, and he was accused of hiding money. It all ended with a 3-month imprisonment in 1592. In 1594 he was sent as a tax collector to the kingdom of Granada. Miguel zealously took up a new business. He collected R $ 7,400 and transferred the money to a Seville bank. But he declared himself bankrupt, and the tax collector was sued. Cervantes failed to prove that he gave all the collected money to the state. In 1597 he was again imprisoned for 3 months. In 1604, the writer parted with Seville and moved to Valladolid. His family soon joined him.

Don Quixote and his loyal squire Sancho Panza

Creation

The first large and unfinished novel in prose and verse "Galatea" was begun in 1582 and saw the light of day in 1585. In the 18th century, this work enjoyed the same success as Don Quixote. In our time, the novel is somehow unjustly forgotten. This is a story about the love of 2 shepherds, Elio and Erastro, for the beautiful Galatea. The first part of the novel, which was published, consists of 6 chapters. Each chapter describes 1 day of rivalry between 2 young men in love. But the author wanted to give the marriage of Galatea with one of the shepherds in the second part, which he never wrote.

The novel is of interest not for its sharp storyline, but for inserted episodes. The best of these is the tale of the adventures of Nishida, Timbrio, Blanca and Silerio. This is one of the central places of the work.

As for the drama, Miguel de Cervantes wrote about 30 plays. Among them are "Algerian customs", "Destruction of Numancia" and "Sea battle". Numancia is considered the pinnacle of Spanish theater during the Golden Age. Two stories were also written: "Rinconeta and Cortadillo" and "The Jealous Extremaduran". They were published in 1613 in a collection of "Instructive Novels".

At the beginning of the 17th century, the writer created the poem "Journey to Parnassus", as well as "The Wanderings of Persiles and Sikhismunda" and the collection "Eight Comedies and Eight Interludes". In 1602, work began on the immortal creation "Don Quixote".

The novel about the noble knight Don Quixote and his loyal squire Sancho Panza consists of 2 parts. The second part was written 10 years later than the first and was completed in 1613. It went on sale in November 1615, and the first part, as already mentioned, in January 1605.

But the second volume was preceded by a forged volume, written by a certain Alonso Fernandez Avellaneda. He saw the light of day in the summer of 1614. The real name of the author of the fake is unknown to this day. Miguel himself learned about the forged "Don Quixote" when he was writing Chapter 59. This news plunged him into irritation and, most likely, hastened his death. However, it should be noted that the forged second part, although it was written in a literary lively language, did not have any success with the readers and passed, in general, unnoticed.

Between the first and second parts of the great novel, the second most literary work was created - "Instructive Novels". They were so brilliant that even Cervantes's literary enemies praised them. The collection includes 12 stories with various plots. Here you can name love stories: "The Power of Blood", "Two Maidens", "Senora Cornelia". Sharply satirical: "About the conversation of dogs", "Deceitful marriage". Psychological: "Jealous Extremadurets".

Monument to Cervantes

End of life

The last years of his life, the great writer lived in Madrid. He moved to this city in 1608. He lived with his family in a poor neighborhood. Don Quixote did not improve his financial situation. In 1609 and 1611, Miguel's sisters died. The wife took monastic vows. The daughter divorced her first husband and entered into a second marriage.

The last was the already mentioned novel "The Wandering of Persiles and Sikhismunda". It was completed on April 16, 1616. It appeared in bookstores in April 1617, and the writer died on April 23, 1616... They buried Cervantes at the expense of the Brotherhood of Slaves of the Holy Communion, of which he had been a member since 1609.

In the preface to his latest creation, the genius Spaniard addressed the readers with the following words: "Forgive, joy! Forgive, fun! Forgive, funny friends! I am dying in the hope of a quick and joyful meeting with you in the other world." Thus ended the long-suffering, but full of greatness and nobility life of the great writer and citizen.

Miguel de Cervantes is a famous writer in Spain in the 16th century. The most popular is his novel "The cunning hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha", which had a tremendous influence on the development of all world literature.

Miguel de Cervantes: biography. early years

The future writer came from an impoverished noble family who lived in Alcala de Henares. His father was a simple doctor, his name was Hidalgo Rodrigo. Mother, Leonora de Cortina, was the daughter of a nobleman who squandered his entire fortune. In addition to Miguel, the family had six children, the writer himself was born the fourth.

It is officially considered the date of birth of Cervantes on September 29, 1547. Since there is very little information about this period of his life, the day was calculated according to the church calendar - there was a tradition to give children names in honor of the saints, whose holiday coincided with the time of the child's birth. And on September 29, the day of the Archangel Michael was celebrated. The Spanish version of the name is Miguel.

There are several assumptions about the formation of Cervantes. Some historians are sure that he graduated from the University of Salamanca. Others say that the writer was trained by the Jesuits in Seville or Cordoba. Both versions have the right to exist, since no evidence has survived.

It is known for certain that Cervantes left his hometown and moved to Madrid. But the reasons for this act are unclear. Perhaps he decided to pursue his career, since he could not have achieved success in his homeland.

Military career

The biography of Cervantes is quite variable, since the writer lived a very long time, and before he gained fame, no one was interested in his life and did not document the events.

Cervantes settled in Madrid. It was in this city that the young man was noticed by Cardinal Aquaviva, who invited Miguel to go to his service. The future writer agreed, and soon found himself in Rome, where he stayed for several years. Then he left the church service and joined the Spanish army, which went to war with the Turks.

Cervantes took part in the Battle of Lepanto, where he fought bravely and lost his hand. He always spoke of his injury with pride. Later, the author wrote that the best warriors are those who come to the battlefield from the classroom. In his opinion, no one fights as bravely as pundits.

The injury was not the reason for his resignation. As soon as the wounds healed, Cervantes went to fight again. He came under the command of Marcantonius Colonna and took part in the assault on Navarino. Then he served in the Spanish squadron and in the garrisons of Naples and Sicily.

In 1575, the writer decides to return to Spain. But on the way, his ship is captured by pirates. And Cervantes ends up in Algeria, where he spends 5 years in slavery. During this time, he tried to escape several times and gained incredible respect from his fellow prisoners.

Liberation

The biography of Cervantes gives an idea of ​​him as a courageous man who had many trials. Later, these moments will be reflected in his works - both a description of war and slavery.

Miguel was rescued from captivity by her mother, who, being a widow, gave all her fortune to ransom her son from captivity. And in 1580 the future writer returned to his homeland. But his financial situation deteriorated. He had no savings or parental capital. This forced Cervantes to return to military service. He took part in a campaign to Lisbon, then went with an expedition to conquer the Azov Islands. He never gave up and it was impossible to break him.

First piece

Cervantes' biography is full of trials and dangers. Despite his active lifestyle, he managed to find time to write, even in the dungeons of Algeria. But he did it professionally only after the end of his military career and returning to Spain.

His first work was the shepherd's novel Galatea, dedicated to the son of Colonna. In the work there were inserts from the life of the author and various poems in Italian and Spanish tastes. However, the book was not very successful.

It is believed that the name of Galatea was the writer's beloved, whom he married in 1584. She was of high birth, but was a dowry. Therefore, the couple lived in poverty for a long time.

Literary career

Miguel Cervantes wrote a lot for the theater. A short biography of the writer says that there were about 20-30 plays in total. Unfortunately, only two of them have survived. Even the comedy Lost, which Cervantes himself called his best play, was even lost.

But writing failed to feed his family, and life in Madrid was not cheap. The plight forced the writer to move his family to Seville. Here he managed to get a position in the financial department. But the salary was extremely low. Cervantes lived in Seville for 10 years, but very little is known about this period. It is clear that he continued to be in dire need of money, since he also supported his sister, who gave her part of the inheritance in order to ransom her brother from captivity. During this time he wrote several poems and sonnets.

Last years and death

For a while, the biography of Cervantes Saavedra ends. Researchers have been hidden for several years. He reappears on stage in 1603 in Valladolid. Here the writer carries out small assignments, which make up all his income. In 1604, the first part of Don Quixote appeared, which brought its author a dizzying success. However, this did not improve the financial situation, but it helped Cervantes to be convinced of his literary talent. From that time until his death, he began to actively write.

He continued to work even on his deathbed, and shortly before his death decides to take a monk's hair. Cervantes died of dropsy, which tormented him for a long time. It happened on April 23, 1616 in Madrid, where the writer moved shortly before his death. For many years his grave was lost, as there was no inscription on the tombstone. The remains of Cervantes were discovered only in 2015 in the crypt of the monastery de las Trinitarias.

"Don Quixote"

The biography of Cervantes is primarily the life story of the author of Don Quixote. This novel is recognized as one of the greatest literary creations in the entire history of mankind. The work received recognition during the life of the author. The name of Cervantes became known not only at home, but also in other European countries. The first part of the novel was published in 1605, and the second exactly 10 years later.

Not only did the book bring success to its author, but also ridicule and mockery. And shortly before the publication of the second part, the novel "The Second Part of Don Quixote" was published, which was written by a certain Alonso de Avellaneda. This book was noticeably inferior to the original and contained many crude allusions and mockery of Miguel himself.

Other works

We have outlined the biography of Cervantes. Now let's talk briefly about his works. In 1613, a collection of the author's "Educational novellas" was published, in which everyday stories were collected. Many people compare this book with the "Decameron" for its fascination and theme.

Biography and work of Cervantes allow you to get an idea of ​​the personality of the author. We can say that he was a brave, witty and talented person who was often unlucky in life.

Miguel de Cervantes is an internationally renowned Spanish writer, playwright, poet and soldier. The greatest popularity was brought to him by the novel "The cunning hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha", which is considered one of the greatest works in the world classics.

There are many interesting and unusual moments in Cervantes that you can find out about right now.

So in front of you short biography of Miguel Cervantes.

Biography of Cervantes

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was born on September 29, 1547 in the Spanish city of Alcale de Henares. He grew up in a simple family descended from a noble family.

His father, Rodrigo de Cervantes, was a physician. Mother, Leonor de Cortina, was the daughter of a ruined nobleman. In addition to Miguel, the parents of Cervantes had six more children.

Childhood and youth

It is worth noting that we do not know much about the first years of Miguel Cervantes' life. It is known that he received his primary education in different schools due to the frequent relocations of his family.

Having reached the age of 22, Cervantes became an accidental participant in a street fight, as a result of which he had to leave the country to avoid criminal prosecution.

He went to Italy, where he soon found himself in the retinue of Cardinal Aquaviva. This played an important role in his biography.

According to some sources, by 1570 Miguel Cervantes had become a Marine c. In 1971, Cervantes took part in a bloody battle near Lepanto. In this battle, he was seriously wounded in his left arm, which remained motionless for the rest of his life.

An interesting fact is that after recovering from his injury, Cervantes continued to serve in the navy. The writer repeatedly visited various sea expeditions and even took part in the storming of Navarin.

Captivity and release

These letters were supposed to help the brave soldier get a promotion. However, this was not destined to happen, since a sharp turn took place in Cervantes' biography.

Returning to his homeland in the fall of 1575, Algerian corsairs attacked Miguel Cervantes's galley, after which the future writer, along with his colleagues, was captured.

Miguel Cervantes was in slavery for 5 years. And although he repeatedly tried to escape, they all ended in failure.

The time spent in captivity seriously influenced his biography in general, and the formation of his personality in particular.

In the future, Cervantes will describe all kinds of bullying that the heroes of his works are regularly subjected to. This is not surprising, because Cervantes knew about all this firsthand.

In 1580, in order to ransom her son from captivity, Miguel's mother sold everything she had. Thanks to this, the writer was free and was able to return home.

Biography of Cervantes

On December 12, 1584, Cervantes married 19-year-old Catalina Palacios de Salazar, from whom he received a small dowry. Interestingly, during this period of his biography, his illegitimate daughter Isabel was born.

Soon the Cervantes family began to experience serious financial difficulties, for which reason Miguel again went to work. He was a participant in the campaign to Lisbon, and also participated in the battles to conquer the Azov Islands.

Returning home, Cervantes seriously took up writing. An interesting fact is that he began to compose the first poems and plays during his captivity.

Cervantes' first novel, Galatea, brought him some popularity, but money was still sorely lacking. He had practically nothing to support his family.

Works of Cervantes

Experiencing financial difficulties, Miguel Cervantes decided to leave for Seville. In this city, he received a position in one financial department.

And although the pay for his work was not so great, he believed that soon his financial situation would change for the better. The writer also hoped that he could be transferred to work in America, but this never happened.

As a result, after living in Seville for 10 years, Cervantes was unable to make any fortune. During this period of his biography, he wrote the short stories "Rinconet and Cortadilla" and "The Spanish Woman in England". In addition, several poems and sonnets came out from under his pen.

Don Quixote Cervantes

At the beginning of the 17th century, Cervantes moved to live in Valladolid. There he made a living doing various assignments from private individuals, as well as writing.

Biographers of Cervantes claim that he once witnessed a duel in which one of his opponents was mortally wounded. As a result of this incident, Miguel was summoned to court, and then kept in prison until all the circumstances of the case were clarified.

One of Cervantes's personal notes contains information that it was in prison that he wanted to write a work about a man who, having lost his mind from reading books about, went to perform various feats.

After his release, Miguel began writing the novel "Don Quixote", which would make him one of the most popular authors in the world.

Many people wanted to buy a book, the hero of which liked the common people so much. Later, the novel began to be translated into different languages ​​of the world.

last years of life

In 1606 Miguel de Cervantes leaves for. An interesting fact is that having received great fame and being at the peak of his popularity, he still needed money.

In 1615, the second part of the novel "Don Quixote" was published. Shortly before his death, he completed the book "The Wanderings of Persiles and Sikhismunda."

Death

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra died on April 22, 1616 in Madrid. An interesting fact is that a few days before his death, he decided to take a monastic vow.

It is still not known exactly where the great writer was buried. A number of biographers of Cervantes believe that his grave is located on the territory of one of the Spanish temples.

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The writer Cervantes (1547-1616) came from an ancient noble family. The house in which he grew up and the hospital at the monastery where he was born in 1547 are now known to every resident of the Spanish city of Alcala de Hernanes.

The very fact that Cervantes was born in the hospital speaks of the poverty of his family. The family lived with pride in their noble ancestors, stories about the exploits of the knights were passed down from generation to generation. It is not surprising that the future writer chose the military field. In 1571 he entered military service and went to war with the Turks. Commander-in-Chief Don Juan provided him with letters of recommendation, but Cervantes was unlucky. He was captured and transported to Algeria. The letters found with him helped to save life, but not freedom. The Turks decided that he was a very important person and demanded a huge ransom. Cervantes spent several years in captivity, even was a rower in galleys, until in 1580 merchants raised money to buy him out.

After fighting for another three years, Miguel de Cervantes retired and devoted himself to literary activity. But he did not become a prosperous and prosperous playwright, because his contemporary was the great Lope de Vega, with whom he had to compete on the stage! Cervantes complained that Lope de Vega had "taken possession of the Catholic monarchy" - so popular were his plays!

Unable to provide himself financially with the work of a playwright, Cervantes again turns to the old army connections. They are looking for a quartermaster job for him, and he makes food purchases for the "Invincible Armada" - the so-called Spanish fleet of one hundred and thirty warships, assembled to defeat English filibusters and to help English Catholics. Only the priests on the ships were one hundred and eighty people! One of them proclaimed: "The Lord God Himself will lead us, whose work and the most holy faith we defend, and with such a Captain we have nothing to fear." Alas, the armada was defeated, and Cervantes had to become a buyer of food for the Indian fleet. For business, he had neither liking nor ability, was accused of embezzlement and spent several years in prison.

Cervantes lived the life of a soldier, a famous writer and a great sinner, a life that he called "long imprudence" and leaving which "carried a stone on his shoulders with an inscription that read the destruction of his hopes." On April 23, 1616, in Madrid, Miguel de Cervantes met death as a true Christian, having had time to take the monastic vows just before his death.

He was so alien to everything material, tangible that even the tombstone on his grave was nameless, and only in 1835 a Latin inscription appeared on it "Miguel Cervantes Saavedra, king of the Spanish poets."

Here is what is important: fighting and fighting, trading and burning, serving time in galleys and in prison, Cervantes did not abandon literary creativity. True, he did not succeed in publishing. All the vast life experience, emotional experiences, ideas of honor and nobility, longing for lost ideals - all this was expressed in the first part of Don Quixote, published in 1604. The success was overwhelming - the novel was reprinted four times in one year. Translations into other languages ​​followed, but along with fame came the envy of enemies, slander, new persecutions by the authorities ... However, literary activity has already become the main business of Cervantes.

After 1604 he published the second part of Don Quixote, novellas and dramatic works, the poem Journey to Parnassus, and only after Cervantes's death his new novel, Persiles and Sigismond, was published. The second volume of Don Quixote was structured differently from the first — there were no inserted short stories. Affected by the difference in time of writing between them - almost eight years.

Source (abridged): Literature: Grade 9: 2 hours Part 1 / BA Lanin, L. Yu. Ustinova; ed. B.A. Lanina. - 2nd ed., Rev. and add. - M .: Ventana-Graf, 2016