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The pen is the tongue of the mind.
~Don Quixote~ 

Miguel de Cervantes was a Spanish novelist, playwright, and poet. He also created Don Quixote, which is the most famous figure in Spanish literature. 

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was born in Alcala de Hanares, Spain in 1547. He was christened on October 9 of that year. He had six siblings. His father Rodrigo de Cervantes was a surgeon, and he moved his family around quite often to find work. In those days, surgeons got very low wages, and Rodrigo eventually ended up in debtor's prison. His mother Leonor de Cortinas may have been a descendant of Jewish converts to Christianity. Many things are unknown about Miguel's early life.

Miguel studied at the "Estudio de la Villa" in 1568 and 1569. His teacher, Juan Lopez de Hoyos, referred to him as "our dear and loved pupil." For reasons that are unknown, Miguel left Madrid for Rome in 1569. Some say that a warrant was issued for the arrest of Miguel de Cervantes for having fought with and wounded the master builder Antonio de Sigura.

In Rome, Miguel became an attendant of the Cardinal Julio Acquaviva after he published his first poem. Miguel had many adventures when he was in his twenties. Many aspects of those adventures are written about in Don Quixote. In 1570, he became part of a Spanish regiment there. He was wounded while fighting the Battle of Lepanto against the Turks in 1571. His wound caused him to lose the use of his left hand. From that day on, he was known as 'el manco de Lepanto' (the one-handed man of Lepanto). Miguel was a highly paid soldier, and he received letters of recommendation from Don John of Austria and the Duke of Sessa, which are both very important people.

In 1575, Miguel set out with his brother Rodrigo on the galley El Sol for Spain. The ship was captured by Barbary pirates and the brothers were taken to Algiers as slaves. Miguel spent five years as a slave until his family got enough money together to pay his ransom. He was freed in 1580 when his ransom was paid. His experience of being in captivity for five years inspired many passages in his work, such as the history of the Captive in the first part of Don Quixote de la Mancha and the drama Los banos de Argel (The Baths of Algiers).

When Miguel returned to Spain, he found out that despite his letters of recommendation, no posts were available in the kingdom. He married Catalina de Palacios Salazar y Vozmediano of Esquivias in 1584 and lived in the town of Esquivias, Toledo. He had no money before he married her. He published La Galatea a year later. He also supplied provisions to the Spanish Armada and became a tax collector for a while.

Miguel de Cervantes started writing Don Quixote in 1597 while imprisoned at Argamasilla in La Mancha for debt. His idea was to paint a picture of real life and manners and to express himself clearly. The reading public acclaimed the intrusion of everyday speech in to a literary context. Miguel de Cervantes stayed poor until 1605 when the first part of Don Quixote appeared. Don Quixote did not make Miguel rich, but it did bring him international appreciation as a man of letters. Miguel also wrote many plays, two of which have survived, short novels, and the second part of Don Quixote in 1615.

From 1596 to 1600, Miguel de Cervantes lived in Seville. In 1906, Miguel settled permanently in Madrid, where he remained the rest of his life. He died on April 23, 1916. 

Miguel de Cervantes' deft characterizations and insights into human nature influenced Freud. Freud claimed that Miguel led him to make several psychoanalytical discoveries. Don Quixote has been translated into almost every language and after the Bible, is the most widely published book in the world.

The brave man carves out his fortune,
and every man is the son of his own works.
~Miguel de Cervantes~ 

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