William Shakespeare & Miguel Cervantes
AS LONG ago as long ago as the late 1500s, authors, playwrights and poets were creating words largely to fit in or bolster their works. Shakespeare’s often oddly reconstructed expressions and Cervantes' phraseology were outstanding examples.
Shakespeare’s lexicography periodically included words of his own manufacture.
He was not alone in the bending of etymology. Miguel Saavedra Cervantes, the creator of fantasy knight errant Don Quixote probably had his own set of rules.
As to the Cervantes connection with Shakespeare, these two literary giants were born and died – on the same day in 1616 in the same era and were renowned outside their own immediate sphere of influence and still are.
I read about the adventures of Don Quixote many years ago, before I ever dreamed of living in Spain. I met artist Pedro Delso in Alfaz de Pi and discovered that Pedro’s estate was a virtual shrine to Cervantes, right down to a lifesize La Mancha windmill, plus many paintings, sculptures and artefacts. Pedro was an aficionado ‘ muy excepcional’. I became a doting fan.
In 1982, English author Graham Greene wrote a ‘ pastiche’ with an updated version, ‘ Monsignor Quixote.’ I read the novel from cover to cover overnight! A movie was made of the story with Alec Guinness as Quixote and Leo McKern as Sancho Panza; I have seen it several times!
In 2018, Terry Gillian of Monty Python fame also made a Don Quixote film. I have watched both these in DVD form, in both Spanish and English.
However, back to Shakespeare.
Recently via media, I read a piece about an ‘ exciting’ rare edition ( copy) of The Bard’s last play ‘ The Two Noble Kinsmen.’ It appears that the volume was discovered ( in a collection) at the Royal Scots College in Madrid and later moved to Barcelona University. I had enjoyed a theatrical performance of
Shakespeare’s ‘ Two Gentlemen of Verona’ in Edinburgh
circa 1964 having been already ‘ schooled’ on Macbeth in the late 40s. The two similar titles had me wondering.
My interest in this ‘ discovery’ had me looking back a few years when in the company of Kate Ferry I met José Manuel Gonzalez Fernandez of Alicante University. Kate and Alteatro had assisted José Manuel with theatrical productions of the final years' students' set books over a decade and, as a pleasant consequence, José Manuel had given Kate a copy of his ‘ CervantesShakespeare – Cuatrocientos Años Despues’, two years ago. Whilst discussing Shakespeare and Cervantes we introduced José to Signé, Delso’s widow, where he inspected Don Quixote memorabilia. Ultimately, one of Pedro’s sketches appeared in José’s tome.
If this personal account stimulates any reader to read Cervantes' Quixote or Graham Greene's Monsignor Quixote, or to watch either of the two films, or visit Pedro Delso's museo in Alfas del Pi ( near/ in the Norwegian colony), they are in for a treat!
N. B. José Manuel Gonzalez Fernandez de Sevilla is probably one of the leading authorities in Spain on William Shakespeare and has published a number of academic books on the subject.