Don Quixote and “The Spoil of Antwerp”
“The Spoil of Antwerp” (1575) by George Gascoigne (1535–1577) and Don Quixote (1605) by Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616) are two pieces of literature from late the 16th century to early 17th century, respectively; that can that have several parallel elements that helped each of them achieve a different purpose for the time and place that they were published.
Just like in all literature, the lives of the authors significantly impacted the writings as a whole. Gascoigne was from Bedfordshire, England. He was highly educated but his life consisted with more failure than success; he failed as a courtier, was imprisoned four months by the Spanish, was accused of being a spy and atheist, and therefore was forbidden from the Parliament, in which he had already served (Cummings 2). He is now considered the most important poet of the early Elizabethan era (Cheney 60). Cervantes was from Madrid, Spain. He pursued a military career, but it was cut short when he was captured by the Ottomans and was kept in captivity for five years. He worked as a purchasing agent for the Spanish Armada, and later as a tax collector for the government. Discrepancies in his accounts landed him in jail. Cervantes is …show more content…
Which actually proves Cervantes’ point in Don Quixote that not all narratives that claim to be truthful can be believed. However, Gascoigne does not fail to provide specific in his story, such as the exact city where he is, dates, and names of specific individuals. His closing line further indicates that his narrative is factual: “written the 25th day of November 1576 by a true Englishman who was Present at this piteous massacre Ut supra.” (Cummings 10). While Don Quixote is intended to entertain the reader, “The Spoil of Antwerp” is intended to provide a historical account through the eyes of a soldier poet (McKeown
“The Spoil of Antwerp” (1575) by George Gascoigne (1535–1577) and Don Quixote (1605) by Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616) are two pieces of literature from late the 16th century to early 17th century, respectively; that can that have several parallel elements that helped each of them achieve a different purpose for the time and place that they were published.
Just like in all literature, the lives of the authors significantly impacted the writings as a whole. Gascoigne was from Bedfordshire, England. He was highly educated but his life consisted with more failure than success; he failed as a courtier, was imprisoned four months by the Spanish, was accused of being a spy and atheist, and therefore was forbidden from the Parliament, in which he had already served (Cummings 2). He is now considered the most important poet of the early Elizabethan era (Cheney 60). Cervantes was from Madrid, Spain. He pursued a military career, but it was cut short when he was captured by the Ottomans and was kept in captivity for five years. He worked as a purchasing agent for the Spanish Armada, and later as a tax collector for the government. Discrepancies in his accounts landed him in jail. Cervantes is …show more content…
Which actually proves Cervantes’ point in Don Quixote that not all narratives that claim to be truthful can be believed. However, Gascoigne does not fail to provide specific in his story, such as the exact city where he is, dates, and names of specific individuals. His closing line further indicates that his narrative is factual: “written the 25th day of November 1576 by a true Englishman who was Present at this piteous massacre Ut supra.” (Cummings 10). While Don Quixote is intended to entertain the reader, “The Spoil of Antwerp” is intended to provide a historical account through the eyes of a soldier poet (McKeown