Miguel de Cervantes short biography. Biography of Miguel Cervantes. Childhood and youth. Military career. Life after the army Miguel Cervantes short biography the most basic

The life of Cervantes

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547-1616) was born in early October 1547 in Alcale de Henares. His parents were poor, but they gave him a good upbringing. Young Cervantes studied first in his hometown, then in Madrid and Salamanca, attracted the attention of teachers with curiosity and poetic talent. In the preface to "Journey to Parnassus" he says: "Since childhood I have loved the lovely art of beautiful poetry." Poverty made him seek his fortune abroad. Cardinal Aquaviva, who came to Madrid on behalf of the pope, took him into his service. Through Catalonia and Provence, Cervantes went with Aquaviva to Rome, remained there for some time in his service, and then entered the Spanish army, which was supposed to sail from Italy to the war with the Turks. He fought bravely in the famous sea Battle of Lepanto, lost his left hand there, which he often mentions with pride in his works. In his short story "Persiles and Sigismunda" he says that the best warriors are those people who move to the battlefield from the field of science: who from a scientist to a warrior has always been a brave soldier.

Before recovering from his wound, Cervantes lived in Messina, then again went to war with the Turks under the command of Marcantonio Colonna and took part in the storming of Navarino. After that he served on the Spanish squadron, which sailed under the command of Don Juan to Tunisia, then remained a year in one of the detachments that were garrisoned in Sicily and Naples. In 1575 he went to Spain with a letter of introduction from Don Juan to the king. But the ship on which he sailed was captured by the corsairs and taken to Algeria. There, Cervantes spent five years in slavery to harsh masters. Several times he tried to escape with other Spaniards taken into slavery, showing unshakable courage and high nobility in these attempts. But they all ended unsuccessfully, and each time Cervantes's position grew worse; he was chained and taken for interrogation. The Muslim mob scolded and beat him; after interrogations they took him to the dungeon. Memories of what was tested during the years of military service and slavery are quite often found in the works of Cervantes. "Persiles and Sigismund" reflects the impressions of his wanderings in Spain, Portugal, Italy; in Don Quixote, the episode in the novella about the captive depicts his life in slavery.

Portrait of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. 1600

Cervantes's mother, who at that time was already a widow, donated her small property to ransom her son, and he (in 1580) returned to his homeland. His comrades in slavery grieved, parting with him, because he was their adviser and comforter. Having neither money nor patrons, he did not find any other opportunity for himself to live, except for entering the military service again. Cervantes was in the Spanish army, going to Lisbon, participated in an expedition that sailed to conquer the Azores; he will forever have a love for Portugal.

Returning to Spain, he chose poetry as his main occupation; Cervantes wrote from his youth - he even wrote in Algerian dungeons, but only now literary activity became his profession. Under the influence of Montemayor and "Diana" by Gil Polo, he wrote the shepherd's novel "Galatea" and dedicated this "first fruit of his weak mind" to the son of the Colonna, under whose command he fought in the East. This work is rich in memories from the life of the author and inserts of poems in Spanish and Italian tastes; but it met with little success. In Don Quixote, when the barber reads the title of this book, the priest says: "Cervantes has been a friend of mine for a long time, and I know that he is more adept at enduring adversity than writing poetry." The novel remained unfinished; but he has a close relationship to the life of the author. Under the name of Galatea, it is believed that the girl whom Cervantes loved and whom he married shortly after (in 1584) is depicted. She was from a good family who lived in Esquivias (near Madrid) and always remained a loving wife. But she did not have any dowry, because Cervantes and she suffered poverty.

He began to write for the theater, hoping to get a livelihood through it; wrote, as we know from him, 20 or 30 plays. But only two of them have come down to us; not even the comedy Lost, which he called his best drama in Journey to Parnassus, has survived. Those two plays that have come down to us were found and published only two hundred years after his death. One of them, "Life in Algeria" (El trato de Argel), is borrowed from the personal fate of the author; another depicting death of Numantia, imbued with patriotic feelings; both have good pathetic scenes, but overall neither has artistic merit. Cervantes could not have been a rival to Lope de Vega.

Oppressed by poverty, he left for Seville, where he received a position with a small salary in the finance department. He strove for a position in America, but to no avail. Cervantes lived in Seville for ten years and we have little information about him over the years. Probably, he still suffered need, because the income from his position as the provisional commissioner of the Indian fleet was meager and unfaithful, and besides himself and his wife he had to support his sister, who gave her small share of her father's inheritance to ransom him from African slavery. At this time he wrote several sonnets and other poems: perhaps then he wrote the short stories "The Spanish Woman in England" and "Rinconet and Cortadilla". But if this is so, nevertheless he wrote very little in these ten years. But he, in all likelihood, made many observations on the characters of the people in Seville, the center of relations between Spain and America; adventurers came there from all over Western Europe, and one could hear enough of them about all kinds of adventures. At the same time, Cervantes studied Andalusian customs, descriptions of which are found in his next works. Living with gay citizens of Seville, who loved jokes, probably contributed to the development of playfulness in his works. At the beginning of the 17th century, we find Cervantes living in Valladolid, where the court was then seat. It seems he continued to need. The sources of his income were business assignments of private people and literary work. Once a night duel took place near his house, in which one of the courtiers who were fighting with each other was killed. Cervantes was interrogated at the trial in this case, and he spent some time under arrest, as a suspect in some complicity or withholding information about the course of the quarrel.

The first part of "Don Quixote"

At this time, he began to write a great novel, which gave immortality to his name. In 1605, the first part of Don Quixote was printed in Madrid, and the public liked it so much that in the same year several new editions of it were published in Madrid and some provincial cities. (See Cervantes' articles "Don Quixote" - summary and analysis, The Image of Don Quixote, The Image of Sancho Panza.) In the next five years, 11 more editions were published, and during Cervantes's lifetime there were translations into other Western languages. But despite the brilliant success of Don Quixote, Cervantes also spent the last ten years of his life in poverty, although fame brought him the patronage of Count Lemos and the Archbishop of Toledo. Lope de Vega, who was then the subject of admiration of the Spanish public, apparently looked with contempt at the poor Cervantes, although he did not stand on ceremony to make many borrowings from his dramatic works. Cervantes was probably offended by Lope de Vega's arrogance; but in his good nature and nobility, he never expressed dislike for him. Lope de Vega, for his part, was careful not to speak disrespectfully of him. When they mention one about the other, they always express kindly, albeit coldly.

Cervantes's "didactic novellas"

In 1613, Cervantes published his "Edifying Novels", the content of which, as he himself says, is borrowed from his own memoirs. They are less entertaining than The Decameron, but rich in beautiful descriptions of manners and nature; for the liveliness of these images, Cervantes is superior to all Spanish writers. The novella "Madrid Gypsy", the content of which served as the material for the libretto of Weber's famous opera Preziosa, depicts the life of nobles and common people with charming vividness. There are many songs inserted in this short story; "The magnanimous lover" reproduces the impressions of the Algerian slavery of Cervantes; the action of this novel was transferred to Cyprus. "Rinconet and Cortadilla" is a series of paintings from the life of itinerant people in southern Spain. Such is the content of A Conversation of Two Dogs, a novella that presents a Spanish combination of fraudulent antics with zealous performance of religious rites. "A Spanish Woman in England" - a story about a Spanish girl captured by the British during the capture and robbery of Cadiz by Admiral Howard and the Earl Essex... These novellas are exactly the same as "The Jealous Extremaduran". The Power of Blood, The False Marriage, Lucentiat Vidriera, and all the other stories in Cervantes' collection perfectly portray the life of the people in Andalusia. They were the finest Spanish novels and are still unmatched in Spanish literature.

Poems, dramas and sideshows by Cervantes

After a collection of short stories, Cervantes published "Journey to Parnassus" a satirical poem written by Terzins; its content is an assessment of the works of contemporary poets. Cervantes speaks of himself with cheerful humor and judges his works very correctly. Mercury, expressing a judgment about him, rightly mentions that the dignity of his dramas and short stories was not sufficiently appreciated by the public. Cervantes wanted to prove to her that in vain she remained indifferent to his previous plays, addicted exclusively to Lope de Vega; he has now published eight new dramas and eight interludes. Almost all dramas have three acts (Jornadas), each with many characters, including a jester or some other amusement. Especially good are "Life in Algeria", "The Brave Spaniard", "The Sultana", "The Happy Villain" (repenting of those bad deeds), "Labyrinth of Love", they have many fascinating scenes. Interludes are small, funny pieces played during intervals. The best of them are "The Attentive Guard" and "The Jealous Old Man" (a remake of the short story "The Jealous Extremadurets"), "The Salamanca Cave"; but all the other sideshows are very fun and realistic. But for all the merits of his plays, Cervantes did not gain fame among his contemporaries as a playwright.

The second part of "Don Quixote"

In the preface to the collection of short stories, Cervantes says that he is publishing the second part of Don Quixote; but while he was writing it, a book came out entitled "The Second Part of Don Quixote, Knight of La Mancha." Its author disappeared under the pseudonym Alonso Fernando de Avellaneda. There are good passages in Avellaneda's book, but it is far below the dignity of Cervantes's novel. In the preface, Avellaneda rudely mocks Cervantes, speaks with vulgar ridicule about his old age and poverty, laughs even at the wounds he received in the war with the infidels. The appearance of Avellaneda's book forced Cervantes to hasten the final finishing of the second part of his novel. He published it in 1615. Sancho Panza's comments on the book of Avellanda indicate that Cervantes resented this forgery. The second part of Don Quixote, written by a sick old man, is equal to the freshness and strength of the genius creativity of the first. The old man who wrote this story, in which there are so many jokes and gaiety, suffered from illness and poverty, felt the nearness of death.

Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. Monument at Plaza de España in Madrid, 1930

The meaning of "Don Quixote" in world literature

More than two and a half centuries have passed since the appearance of Don Quixote by Cervantes, and to this day it remains one of the favorite books of all civilized nations; there is hardly another novel that has received such strong and widespread popularity. Morals have completely changed since that time, and Don Quixote still retains the interest of living modernity. This is because under the form of a joke, it contains a picture of the eternal passion of the human heart and eternal wisdom. To understand the form of this book, we must remember that chivalrous ideas, long dead in other countries, were still alive in Spain during the time of Cervantes, that the conquests in the New World supported in the Spaniards a penchant for fantastic aspirations, that the Amadis novels were still the favorite reading of the Spaniards. that not only the Spaniards, but also other peoples still believed the tales of Eldorado and the source that gave eternal youth. The novels about Amadis and other heroes fighting giants and evil wizards were so popular in Spain that Kings Charles V and Philip II considered it necessary to ban these books. Castilian Cortes(Parliament) in 1555 decided that the "Amadis" and similar "false books" that young men and women are dealing with, considering the absurdities told in them to be true, so that they speak and write in the style of these books, should be destroyed. " Don Quixote was needed to stop this medieval fantasy. And indeed he stopped it. New novels in the style of the Amadis did not appear after him. The previous ones were still being reprinted, but that too soon ended.

"The Wanderings of Persiles and Sigismunda" by Cervantes

Shortly after the second part of Don Quixote, Cervantes completed his novel, The Wanderings of Persiles and Sigismunda. In the dedication of this book to Count Lemos, Cervantes says that he expects an imminent death, and the joking preface ends with the words: “Farewell to jokes, farewell to merry friends; I feel like I’m dying; and my only desire is to see you happily in another life. " Four days after he wrote these words, he died, on April 23, 1616, at the age of 69. In terms of the number and month, it appears to be the same day that Shakespeare died; but the English were still holding on to the old style, and in Spain a new one had already been introduced. In the 17th century, the difference in styles was 10 days; and so the English poet died ten days later than the Spanish.

"The Wanderings of Persiles and Sigismund" - a series of adventures taking place in different countries and at sea; the geography and history in this novel is a mixture of fantasy and truth. The book was published after the death of the author (in 1517). “The wanderings of Persiles and Sigismund,” says the literary critic Rosencrantz, “are a series of stories about the amazing adventures of these persons. Persiles, second son of the King of Iceland; Sigismunda is the only daughter and heiress of the Queen of Friesland. She was betrothed to Persiles' brother Maximin, a rude man. He could not please the meek, noble beauty; she fell in love with Persiles. They run away, want to go to Rome, beg the pope to release Sigismund from the promise she made to her former fiancé. Persiles calls himself Periander, Sigismund - Avristele, so that the pursuit does not find them by their true names. They pass themselves off as brother and sister; their true names and relationships are revealed to the reader only at the end of the book. On the way to Rome, they endure all sorts of troubles, end up in different lands; more than once savages take them prisoner and want to devour; villains are trying to kill or poison. They are shipwrecked several times, many times fate separates them. But the kidnappers quarrel among themselves for their possession, fight and die. Finally, the lovers reach Rome and receive permission from the pope to marry. The fabulous geography and the fantastic story, serving as the setting for the adventures of Persiles and Sigismund, gave rise to reproach Cervantes for writing a book similar to the knightly the Amadis novels, at which he himself laughed. But this is not fair. The fantastic setting in his novel is a secondary element. True content is depicting the feelings of the human heart, and it is true.

Miguel de Servantes Saavedra(Spanish. Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra ; presumably September 29, Alcala de Henares - April 22, Madrid) - world famous Spanish writer. First of all, he is known as the author of one of the greatest works of world literature - the novel "The cunning hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha".

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Biography

early years

Miguel Cervantes was born into a family of impoverished nobles in the town of Alcala de Henares. His father, Hidalgo Rodrigo de Cervantes, was a modest physician, his mother, Doña Leonor de Cortina, was the daughter of a nobleman who had lost his fortune. Their family had seven children, Miguel was the fourth child [ ]. Very little is known about Cervantes' early life. The date of his birth is September 29, 1547 (the day of the Archangel Michael). This date is set approximately on the basis of the records of the church book and the then tradition of giving a child a name in honor of a saint whose holiday falls on his birthday. It is known for certain that Cervantes was baptized on October 9, 1547 in the church of Santa Maria la Mayor in Alcala de Henares.

Some biographers claim that Cervantes studied at the University of Salamanca, but there is no convincing evidence for this version. There is also an unconfirmed version that he studied with the Jesuits in Cordoba or Seville.

According to Abraham Chaim, president of the Sephardic community of Jerusalem, Cervantes's mother came from a family of baptized Jews. Cervantes's father was from the nobility, but in his hometown Alcala de Henares is the home of his ancestors, which is located in the center of the Hudéria, that is, the Jewish quarter. The house of Cervantes is located in the former Jewish part of the city [ ] .

Writer's activities in Italy

The reasons that prompted Cervantes to leave Castile remain unknown. Whether he was a student, or escaped justice, or escaped a royal arrest warrant for wounded Antonio de Sigura in a duel, is another mystery in his life. In any case, having left for Italy, he did what other young Spaniards did for their careers in one way or another. Rome opened its church rituals and grandeur to the young writer. In a city teeming with ancient ruins, Cervantes discovered ancient art, and also focused on Renaissance art, architecture and poetry (knowledge of Italian literature can be traced in his works). He was able to find in the achievements of the ancient world a powerful impetus to the revival of art. Thus, the enduring love for Italy that is visible in his later works was in a way a desire to return to the early Renaissance period.

Military career and the Battle of Lepanto

There is another, unlikely, version of the loss of a hand. Due to the poverty of his parents, Cervantes received a meager education and, unable to find a livelihood, was forced to steal. Allegedly, it was for theft that he was deprived of his hand, after which he had to leave for Italy. However, this version does not inspire confidence - if only because the thieves at that time were no longer chopped off their hands, as they were sent to the galleys, where both hands were required.

The Duke de Sesse, presumably in 1575, gave Miguel letters of recommendation (lost by Miguel during his captivity) for the king and ministers, as he reported in his testimony of July 25, 1578. He also asked the king for mercy and assistance to the brave soldier.

In Algerian captivity

In September 1575, Miguel Cervantes with his brother Rodrigo was returning from Naples to Barcelona aboard the galley "Sun" (la Galera del Sol). On the morning of September 26, on the way to the Catalan coast, the galley was attacked by Algerian corsairs. The attackers were resisted, as a result of which many members of the "Sun" team were killed, and the rest were captured and taken to Algeria. : 236 The letters of recommendation found on Miguel Cervantes have led to an increase in the ransom required. In Algerian captivity, Cervantes spent 5 years (-), tried to escape four times and only miraculously was not executed. In captivity, he was often subjected to various tortures.

Father Rodrigo de Cervantes, according to his petition of March 17, 1578, indicated that his son "was captured in the gallery" The sun“Under the command of Carrillo de Quesada,” and that he “was wounded by two arquebus shots in the chest, and injured in his left arm, which he could not use”. The father did not have the funds to ransom Miguel due to the fact that he had previously ransomed his other son, Rodrigo, who was also on that ship, from captivity. Mateo de Santisteban, a witness to this petition, noted that he had known Miguel for eight years and met him when he was 22 or 23 years old, on the day of the Battle of Lepanto. He also testified that Miguel “ on the day of the battle he was ill and had a fever”, And he was advised to stay in bed, but he decided to take part in the battle. For his distinction in battle, the captain presented him with four ducats over and above his usual pay.

The news (in the form of letters) about Miguel's stay in Algerian captivity was delivered by the soldier Gabriel de Castaneda, a resident of the Carriedo mountain valley from the village of Salazar. According to his information, Miguel was in captivity for about two years (that is, since 1575) with a Greek converted to Islam, captain Arnautriomas.

In the petition of Miguel's mother in 1580, it was reported that she asked " give permission to export 2,000 ducats in the form of goods from the kingdom of Valencia»For the ransom of her son.

Service in Seville

In Seville, he was engaged in the affairs of the Spanish fleet on the orders of Antonio de Guevara.

Intention to go to America

Miguel de Cervantes. Instructive novellas. Translated from Spanish by B. Krzhevsky. Moscow. Publishing house "Khudozhestvennaya literatura". 1983

Personal life

Almost on his deathbed, Cervantes did not stop working; a few days before his death, he was tonsured a monk. On April 22, 1616, life ended (he died of dropsy), which the bearer himself in his philosophical humor called "long imprudence" and, leaving which, he "carried a stone on his shoulders with an inscription that read the destruction of his hopes." However, according to the customs of that time, the date of his burial was recorded as the date of his death - 23 April. Because of this, it is sometimes said that the date of death of Cervantes coincides with the date of death of another great writer - William Shakespeare, in fact, Cervantes died 11 days earlier (since, at that time, the Gregorian calendar was in effect in Spain, and in England - the Julian calendar). April 23, 1616 is sometimes considered the end of the Renaissance.

Heritage

The monument to Cervantes was erected in Madrid only in 1835 (sculptor Antonio Sola); on the pedestal there are two inscriptions in Latin and Spanish: “Miguel de Cervantes Saavedre, king of Spanish poets, year M.D.CCC.XXXV”.

Cervantes' world significance rests mainly on his novel Don Quixote, a complete, comprehensive expression of his diverse genius. Conceived as a satire on the knightly novels that flooded all literature at that time, as the author definitely states in the Prologue, this work gradually, perhaps even independently of the author's will, turned into a deep psychological analysis of human nature, two sides of mental activity - noble, but crushed by the reality of idealism and realistic practicality.

Both of these sides found themselves brilliantly manifested in the immortal types of the hero of the novel and his squire; in their sharp opposition, they - and this is the deep psychological truth - constitute, however, one person; only the fusion of these two essential aspects of the human spirit constitutes a harmonious whole. Don Quixote is ridiculous, his adventures depicted with a brilliant brush - if you do not ponder their inner meaning - cause irrepressible laughter; but it is soon replaced in the thinking and feeling reader by another laugh, "laughter through tears," which is an essential and inalienable condition for every great humorous creation.

In Cervantes' novel, in the fate of his hero, it was the world irony that was reflected in a high ethical form. One of the best expressions of this irony is the beatings and all kinds of other insults to which the knight is subjected - with a certain anti-artistic character of them in the literary sense. Turgenev noted another very important moment in the novel - the death of his hero: at that moment all the great meaning of this person becomes available to everyone. When his former squire, wishing to console him, tells him that they will soon go on knightly adventures, "No," the dying man replies, "all this is forever gone, and I ask everyone for forgiveness."

Bibliography

• Galatea, 1585
• "Destruction of Numancia"
• "Algerian customs"
• "Sea battle" (not preserved)
• "The cunning hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha", 1605, 1615
• "Instructive novellas", collection, 1613
• "Journey to Parnassus", 1614
• "Eight comedies and eight interludes, new, never presented on stage", collection, 1615
• "The Wanderings of Persiles and Sikhismund", 1617

Russian translations

The first Russian translator of Cervantes, according to the latest data, is N. I. Oznobishin, who translated the novel "Cornelia" in 1761. Then it was translated by M. Yu. Lermontov and V. A. Zhukovsky.

Memory

• In honor of the heroine of Cervantes's short story "The Gypsy" is named the asteroid (529) Preziosa, discovered in 1904 (according to another version, it was named after the play by Pius Alexander Wolf, written in 1810).
• The asteroids (571) Dulcinea (discovered in 1905) and (3552) Don Quixote (opened in 1983) are named in honor of the heroine and hero of the novel "The cunning hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha".
• In 1965, Salvador Dali made the series Five Immortal Spaniards, which included Cervantes, El Cid, El Greco, Velazquez and Don Quixote.
• In 1966, a postage stamp of the USSR was issued, dedicated to Cervantes.
• In 1976, a crater was named in honor of Cervantes Cervantes on Mercury.
• On September 18, 2005, in honor of Cervantes, the asteroid discovered on February 2, 1992 by E. V. Elst at the European Southern Observatory was named "79144 Cervantes".
• Plaza de España in Madrid is decorated with a sculptural composition, the central figure of which is Cervantes and his most famous heroes.
• The monument to Miguel Cervantes was erected in Moscow in the Friendship Park.
• Argentinean named after Cervantes

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Biography, life story of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Miguel de Cervantes Saaverda is a Spanish writer. Author of the famous novel "The cunning hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha".

early years

Miguel was born in the Spanish city of Alcala de Henares on September 29, 1547. He became the fourth of seven children of Rodrigo de Cervantes, a physician, and Doña Leonor de Cortina, daughter of a ruined nobleman. On October 9, 1547, Miguel was baptized in the local church of Santa Maria la Mayor.

The youthful years of Miguel de Cervantes are shrouded in mystery, there is no reliable information about his life. Some historians claim that the writer was educated at the University of Salamanca, while others believe that Miguel studied with the Jesuits in Seville or Cordoba.

At a young age, Miguel de Cervantes left for Italy (the reason for his move is unknown). In Rome, de Cervantes fell in love with ancient art, the Renaissance, architecture and poetry.

Military service. Difficult fate

In 1570, Miguel became a soldier in the Spanish Marine Corps located in Naples. In 1571, de Cervantes sailed on the ship "Marquis", which was part of the galley fleet of the Holy League. In October, the Marquis defeated the Ottoman flotilla during the Battle of Patras Gulf. It is curious that on the day of the battle, Miguel was tormented by a fever, but the soldier, despite the fever and fatigue, was called into battle. Miguel fought bravely and was badly wounded. Three bullets pierced his body - two in the chest, one in the left forearm. The last bullet made de Cervantes' arm immobilized.

After the end of the battle, Miguel spent six months in the hospital. Then, from 1572 to 1575, he continued to serve in Naples, sometimes participating in expeditions. Visited Seville, Corfu, Navarino and so on. In September 1575, Miguel de Cervantes was captured by the Algerian corsairs. The Algerians asked for a large ransom for Cervantes, who had letters of recommendation from the duke for the king with him. Miguel spent 5 years in captivity. He tried to escape four times, but each time the Algerians caught him and punished him severely.

CONTINUED BELOW

After the long-awaited release from captivity by Christian missionaries, Miguel de Cervantes served in Portugal, Oran and Seville. Then, for some time, Miguel worked as a purchaser of provisions for the military fleet "Invincible Armada" and a collector of arrears. In this field, de Cervantes failed - he naively entrusted a large amount of state money to one banker, and he, without thinking twice, went on the run with them. Because of this, in 1597, Miguel was imprisoned. It was a difficult time for the writer - yes, then he already found his vocation in literature and worked solely in order to buy his own food. Five years later, Cervantes, accused of financial abuse, was again taken into custody. Until the early 1600s, very little is known about the life of Miguel de Cervantes. In 1603, Miguel settled in Valladolid and began to engage in private business, giving him a small income. True, what kind of these cases were - history is silent.

Literature

Miguel de Cervantes' first novel, Galatea, written in 1585, was not a success with readers. The same fate befell a number of his dramatic plays. In difficult years (late 1590s - early 1600s), Miguel continues to write, taking creative inspiration from his own life - the life of a wanderer, rejected by society. In 1604, the first part of Cervantes' novel "The cunning hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha" was finally published. The public liked the book, and not only Spanish, but also abroad. Unfortunately, despite the novel's warm reception, the writer's pocket was not replenished with coins. However, the commercial collapse did not prevent Miguel from publishing the second part of the novel, and with it several more works. And although all the creations of Miguel de Cervantes are interesting and fascinating, it was the novel "The cunning hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha" that made the author immortal in world literature.

Personal life

On December 12, 1584, Miguel de Cervantes Saaverda married Catalina Palacios de Salazar, a nineteen-year-old noblewoman from Esquias. According to the statement of the writer's biographers, there were no children in this marriage. But Miguel had one illegitimate daughter - Isabel de Cervantes.

Death

On April 22, 1616, in Madrid, Miguel de Cervantes, the creator of the knight Don Quixote and his devoted squire Sancho Panza, died of dropsy. A few days before his death, Miguel was tonsured a monk.

The burial place of the writer was lost for many years. The remains of de Cervantes were discovered by archaeologists only in the spring of 2015 in the crypt at the monastery of de las Trinitarisas. The ceremonial reburial took place in June of the same year at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Madrid.

Born in 1547 in the provincial town of Alcala de Henares, which is thirty kilometers from Madrid, in the family of a surgeon.

The large family of the future writer lived in poverty, but was famous for the title of hidalgo. In the Cervantes family, Miguel was the fourth among seven children.

Even with such a title, the Cervantes family, headed by Father Rodrigo, had to move from place to place in search of earnings.

There is unverified evidence that he studied at the University of Salamanca. Cervantes left his native land and, having arrived in Italy, got acquainted with the art of ancient times, the Renaissance.

In Rome, he drew inspiration, studied the works of Italian writers, which left its mark on the later works of the author.

In 1570 he joined the Marines of Naples. It is also known that he participated in the Battle of Lepanto, where he lost his left arm. During this battle, the writer showed heroism and courage, which he was rightfully proud of.

In addition, during the service, the writer took part in campaigns to Corfu and Navarino. Was present at the surrender of Tunisia and La Gleta to the Ottoman Empire. Returning home from service, Cervantes is captured by the Algerian pirates, who sold him into slavery. The future writer made several unsuccessful attempts to escape and miraculously escaped execution. After spending five years in captivity, he was ransomed by missionaries.

Miguel de Cervantes started quite late. Upon returning home, he wrote his first work, Galatea, followed by many other dramatic plays. Unfortunately, his works were not in great demand, which forced him to look for other sources of income: either he took up the purchase of provisions for ships, then he worked as a collector of arrears.

The life of the future author was difficult, full of hardships and hardships. He had to go through a lot, nevertheless, Miguel constantly worked on the work of his whole life and in 1604 the first part of the immortal novel "The Dodgy Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha" was published for the first time. The work immediately made a splash, the book literally flew off the shelves, translations were made into many languages. However, the financial situation of the author did not improve from this.

Cervantes continued to write actively for 12 years, from 1604 to 1616. numerous short stories, dramatic works, the continuation of the bestseller Don Quixote, as well as a novel published only after the death of the author "Persiles and Sikhismund" were born.

Miguel took monastic vows presumably in 1616, in the same year the world famous writer, who lived a difficult life, died. For a long time, the grave of the writer remained lost, due to the lack of an inscription on his tomb. One cannot overestimate the contribution of Cervantes to world literature, he became the founder of the personal epic.

Cervantes' significance is based mainly on the novel Don Quixote. This work, known all over the world today, fully reveals his versatile genius. Here there is a deep analysis of the nature of people, from two angles: idealism and realism. The destinies of his heroes, who complement each other as best as possible, reflect the whole salt of world irony. Having led his knight through real life, the author reveals a diverse panorama of Spanish society.

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra is a world famous writer, from whose pen came the stories of Don Quixote's "heroic" exploits and the wanderings of Persiles and Sichismunda. All his works succinctly combine realism and romance, lyricism and comedy.

The beginning of life

Biography of Cervantes began on September 29, 1547. His parents were not particularly wealthy. Father's name was Rodrigo de Cervantes, he was a doctor-surgeon. The mother's name is Leonor de Cortinas.

Young Miguel first received his education in his hometown of Alcale de Henares, then, due to numerous moves, he studied at schools in several more cities, such as Madrid, Salamanca. In 1569 he became an accidental participant in a street fight and was persecuted by the authorities. Because of this, Cervantes was forced to flee the country. He first went to Italy, where for several years he was a member of the retinue of Cardinal Aquaviva. It is known that after some time he enlisted in the army. Among other fighters, he took part in the fierce sea battle near Lepanto (7.10.1571). Cervantes survived, but received a serious injury in his forearm, as a result of which his left hand remained immobilized for life. Having recovered from his injury, he more than once visited other sea expeditions, including participating in the assault on Navarin.

Captivity

It is known for certain that in 1575 Cervantes left Italy and went to Spain. The commander-in-chief in Italy Juan of Austria handed over to the valiant soldier with whom the future writer hoped to get a good place in the ranks of the Spanish army. But this was not destined to happen. Algerian pirates attacked the galley on which Cervantes was sailing. The entire crew and passengers were captured. Among the unfortunate was Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. He was in harsh conditions of slavery for five years. Together with other prisoners, he made more than one attempt to escape, but each time they ended in failure. These five years have left an indelible imprint on the writer's worldview. Mentions of torture and torture are found more than once in his works. So, in the novel "Don Quixote" there is a short story, which tells about a prisoner who was kept in chains for a long time and tortured with unbearable torture. In it, the writer illustrates his own life in slavery.

Liberation

Cervantes's mother, who by that time was already a widow, sold all her small property in order to redeem her son. In 1580 he returned to his hometown. Many of his comrades who remained in captivity lamented that the adviser and comforter, who supported everyone in the most difficult moments, had left them. It was his human qualities, ability to convince and comfort that made him the patron of unfortunate people who were in slavery.

First works

After spending several years in Madrid, Toledo and Esquivias, he managed to marry Catalina de Palacios (December 1584) and acquire an illegitimate daughter from Ana Franca de Rojas.

Cervantes had no means of subsistence, so there was no choice but to go back to military service. During this period, the future Spanish writer was one of the participants in the campaign to Lisbon, participated in the military campaign to conquer the Azov Islands.

After leaving the service, he came to grips with poetry. And before that, being in Algerian captivity, he began to write poetry and compose plays, but now this occupation has become the meaning of his life. His first works were not successful. Some of the earliest works of Cervantes were the tragedy "Numancia" and the comedy "Algerian customs". The novel "Galatea", which was published in 1585, brought fame to Miguel, but he did not become richer. The financial situation remained deplorable.

10 years in Seville

Under the yoke of poverty, Miguel Cervantes leaves for Seville. There he gets a position in the finance department. The salary was small, but the writer hoped to get a job in America in the near future. However, this did not happen. After living in Seville for 10 years, he was unable to make a fortune. First, as a food commissioner, he received a paltry salary. Secondly, some of it went to support the sister, who gave her part of the inheritance in order to ransom her brother from Algerian captivity. The novels "The Spanish Woman in England", "Rinconet and Cortadilla", as well as single poems and sonnets can be attributed to the works of that time. It should be noted that it was the cheerful disposition of the indigenous inhabitants of Seville that led to the appearance of a certain comedy and playfulness in his works.

The birth of "Don Quixote"

The biography of Cervantes continued in Valladolid, where he moved at the beginning of the 17th century. At this time, the residence of the court was located there. Livelihoods were still lacking. Miguel earned money by doing business errands from private people and literary work. There is evidence that once he became an unwitting witness to a duel that took place near his house, during which one of the courtiers died. Cervantes was summoned to court, he was even arrested, as he was suspected of complicity and withholding information about the reasons and course of the quarrel from the investigation. He spent some time in prison while the trial was underway.

One of the memoirs contains information that it was under arrest, while in prison, that the Spanish writer decided to write a humorous work about a man who "went crazy" from reading novels about knights and went to perform feats of knighthood in order to be like the heroes of his favorite books ...

Initially, the work was conceived as a short story. When, freed from arrest, Cervantes began work on his main creation, new thoughts about the development of the plot appeared, which he brought to life. This is how Don Quixote became a novel.

Publication of the main novel

In the middle of 1604, having finished work on the book, Cervantes began to bother about its publication. To do this, he contacted the bookseller Robles, who became the first publisher of the great creation. "The cunning hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha" was printed at the end of 1604.

The circulation was small and sold out almost immediately. And in the spring months of 1605, the second edition was released, which was a resounding success. Don Quixote and Sancho Panza became one of the most beloved characters of the entire Spanish people, and they were also learned about in other countries, since the novel was translated and published in other languages. These heroes became participants in carnival processions in all

The last decade of life

1606 will mark the writer's move to Madrid. Despite the overwhelming success of Don Quixote, Cervantes continued to be in need. Under his care were his wife, sister and illegitimate daughter Isabel, who after the death of her mother began to live with her father.

Many of Cervantes's works were written during this period. This is a large part of the stories, which were included in the collection "Educational novellas" (1613) and the poetic literary satire "Journey to Parnassus" (1614). Also in the last decade of his life, he composed many new and revised several old plays. They are collected in the book "Eight Comedies and Eight Interludes". The "Wanderings of Persiles and Sikhismunda" also began during this period.

Cervantes's biography is not fully known. There are many dark spots in it. In particular, there is no information about when he began work on the second part of Don Quixote. Most likely, the writer was prompted to create it by the writing by a certain A. Fernandez de Avellaned of the false “Don Quixote”, which continued the storyline of Cervantes's novel. This forgery contained many rude, obscene statements about the author and the characters in the book, presenting them in a bad light.

The present second part of the novel was published in 1615. And in 1637, both parts of the genius literary creation for the first time came out under the same cover.

Already dying, the writer dictates the prologue to the novel "The Wanderings of Persiles and Sikhismunda", which was published after his death in 1617.

A few days before his death, Cervantes was tonsured a monk. He died on April 23, 1616 in Madrid. The burial was made at the expense of the exact burial place is unknown, but most researchers believe that he was buried on the territory of one of the Spanish monasteries. The monument to the great writer was erected in 1835 in Madrid.

The biography of Cervantes proves how selfless a person's desire can be to fulfill his vocation. Despite the fact that literary creativity never brought him much income, this great writer continued to create throughout his life. As a result, his works became part of the cultural heritage of those distant centuries. And now, after so much time, his novels, short stories and plays are relevant and popular.