Miguel de Cervantes was born today in writing history, September 29. Celebrate the occasion by learning more about the author’s life and contributions to the literary world. Aspiring writers should also use this opportunity as a writing exercise. Look for inspiration today in writing history.
Today in Writing: September 29: Miguel de Cervantes’ Birthday
Miguel de Cervantes was born on September 29, 1547. He is best known for writing Don Quixote, considered the first modern novel. Cervantes is regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language, and his writing has left a lasting mark in the literary world.
Despite Cervantes’ titanic effect in literature, much of his life lies in obscurity. Similar to William Shakespeare, there are large swaths of uncertainty surrounding the life of Miguel de Cervantes. However, from the parts that can be pieced together, the man lived an exciting life. Find inspiration in the stories, works, and words for this installment of Today in Writing: September 29.
Writing Prompts for Today In Writing: September 29
Take this opportunity to learn more about Miguel de Cervantes and his ground-breaking approach to telling a story through writing. Don Quixote is a pinnacle in the literary world and is considered the first modern novel. Cervantes’ writing is firmly embedded and often referenced in contemporary culture, despite being written nearly 500 years ago.
What inspired Miguel de Cervantes? How did he develop his writing style? And what helped Cervantes shape the idea that would become the first modern novel? Find inspiration about the writer, learn more details about his life, and write!
Miguel de Cervantes Biography
Miguel de Cervantes was born on September 29, 1547, in Alcalá de Henares, Spain. His father, Rodrigo, was a barber-surgeon. During the time, this role commonly served the role of battlefield medic rather than a physician. However, the exact details of the author’s life are disputed.
A Man of Many Unknowns
There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the life of Miguel de Cervantes. His name might not be his name. The author signed himself as Cerbantes, and his publishers printed it as Cervantes. In his later years, the writer used the name Saavedra.
The author’s religious beliefs were also uncertain, which is an interesting point to note in the context of history. Religion could be a very contentious issue during Cervantes’ time, especially in Spain. The infamous Spanish Inquisition, and its crusade against heresy, made the period very tumultuous, even for devout Spanish Catholics. Cervantes may have had Jewish ancestry, and whether he did or did not, suspicion during this time ran high.
More glaringly than the uncertainty of his name, there is no authenticated image of Miguel de Cervantes. The portrait most commonly associated with him is also claimed to be of Juan de Jáuregui, a Spanish poet. Other images of Cervantes are possibly him, but not confirmed. The image of the author that appears on the Spanish Euro coins was based on a bust created in 1905.
Miguel de Cervantes, Life as a Soldier
Cervantes would leave Spain for Italy in 1569. An arrest warrant from September 15, charging Miguel de Cervantes with injuring another man in a duel, was likely the reason behind the author’s departure. The warrant was probably a factor in his decision to enlist with the Italian coalition forming against the Ottoman Empire.
The fourth Ottoman-Venetian War began in 1570. Italy, which had not yet been centralized, was comprised of different states. They joined a coalition alongside Spain to fight against the Ottomans. Naples, the southern state of Italy, was under Spanish rule. Cervantes and his younger brother enlisted with the Neapolitans. Rescinding his arrest warrant most likely influenced his decision to join the war.
Miguel de Cervantes would participate in the famed Battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571. It was the last major naval battle to use rowed galley-style ships and was one of the largest engagements of the ancient Western world. The fleet of the Christian coalition inflicted a heavy defeat on the Ottoman Empire.
During the battle, Cervantes stuffed several injuries. Two chest wounds left the author in critical condition and an injury to his left arm that rendered it useless for the rest of his life. Despite the injuries, Cervantes would eventually recover, and his actions during the battle served as a great source of pride for the rest of his life.
Cervantes’ Life as a Prisoner
Miguel de Cervantes and his brother continued to serve with Naples following the war’s end. However, in September of 1575, their ship was captured by pirates, and the crew was forced into slavery. While Cervantes’ family paid a ransom to return Miguel’s younger brother home safely, they could not afford his release.
Cervantes would remain in captivity for the next five years. Records show he possibly spent part of this time in Istanbul. Tensions between the Spanish and Ottomans would eventually cool to the point a charity was able to secure the release of Miguel de Cervantes. He returned to Madrid in 1580.
Later Life and Death
After returning to Spain, Miguel de Cervantes worked a series of jobs during a difficult economic time in Spain. Records show he worked various government roles like tax collectors, was arrested several times and quickly released, and attempted to become involved in the government of Spain’s colonies.
His writing would not give him financial stability until the final years of his life. Miguel de Cervantes did most of his work alongside various other jobs. Don Quixote was published in January 1605. It was not his first novel, but it contributed to the rise of his reputation over the next decade. Cervantes published several books and plays during his lifetime.
By 1613, he had obtained some stability as a writer. He was supported by a wealthy patron, the Count of Lemos, and Don Quixote was a massive success- readers wanted a sequel. Miguel de Cervantes died on April 22, 1616.
Cervantes’ symptoms described at the time of his death lead experts to believe he had diabetes, which was untreatable at the time. He was buried in the Convent of the Barefoot Trinitarians in Madrid. During construction in 1673, his remains were lost. Only in 2014 were they found and reburied.
Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote
Miguel de Cervantes’ most famous and impactful contribution to literature is his novel Don Quixote. Published in two parts, first in 1605, then in 1615, the book is a founding work of Western literature and is considered the first modern novel. Despite its age, Cervantes’ masterpiece remains a famous work and is one of the most translated books in the world.
Don Quixote Overview
The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha is the story of Alonso Quijano, who loses his mind (or pretends to), begins referring to himself as Don Quixote, and goes off on adventures as a knight to revive chivalry. He enlists Sancho Panza, a simple farmer, as his squire.
Interpreted as a comic novel, Quijano/Quixote’s attempt to revive the concepts of knightly chivalry, considered old-fashioned at the time, often resulted in misadventure. In a famous passage, Quixote jousts against a windmill, which he sees as a giant. Panza’s simple and realistic outlook grounds Don Quixote’s idealistic but unrealistic views.
Today in Writing: September 29 – 12 Miguel de Cervantes Quotes
The writing and ideas of Miguel de Cervantes are known around the world. His words continue to influence literature and have become commonplace in modern language. The idealist but unrealistic nature of Don Quixote has turned his name into a quixotic adjective. Aspiring writers can find inspiration in the enduring ideas of Miguel de Cervantes.
12 Miguel de Cervantes Quotes
1. To be prepared is half the victory.
2. He who loses wealth loses much; he who loses a friend loses more; but he that loses his courage loses all.
3. Jests that give pains are no jests.
4. That’s the nature of women, not to love when we love them, and to love when we love them not.
5. Never stand begging for that which you have the power to earn.
6. Too much sanity may be madness and the maddest of all, to see life as it is and not as it should be.
7. The knowledge of yourself will preserve you from vanity.
8. A closed mouth catches no flies.
9. Truth may be stretched, but cannot be broken, and always gets above falsehood, as does oil above water.
10. Forewarned, forearmed; to be prepared is half the victory.
11. The eyes those silent tongues of love.
12. Those who’ll play with cats must expect to be scratched.
Today in Writing: September 29 – Daily Writing Exercise
Now that you have done some reading, it is time to write. Aspiring writers should look to the stories from Miguel de Cervantes’ life for their own inspiration. Check through his quotes to spark an idea or read part one of the most treasured contributions to the literary world.
Find a topic from Today in Writing: September 29 and freewrite for 10 minutes. The writing of Miguel de Cervantes still carries weight in the modern era. Aspiring writers should look for inspiration in the author’s uncertain life for their daily writing topic.
Don’t let any opportunity to write go to waste. Aspiring writers: Practice your writing today. Celebrate Today in Writing History September 29.
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