Don Quixote

Miguel Cervantes and his contemporary Félix Lope de Vega represent the Golden Age of Spanish culture. Cervantes wrote his magnum opus, Don Quixote, in Castilian. This dialect developed into literary Spanish. Lope de Vega’s plays and sonnets inspired a Spanish tradition of traveling poets and singers, helping spread Spanish culture throughout Spain and Europe. The spread of vernacular literature throughout Europe meant that more people could read and there was a greater demand for books, mostly religious tomes. In addition, people were encouraged to write, and many prominent courtiers, such as those of Lorenzo de Medici, were humanist poets. Cervantes’ and Lope de Vega’s works represent the spread of vernacular literature and the expansion of literacy in the general population.

Miguel Cervantes

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1605