Miguel de Cervantes

Michael Thacker

Professor of Golden Age Spanish Literature Jonathan Thacker

The Jealous Old Man from Extremadura follows the story of Felipo de Carrizales, as he returns from the New world as an old but a wealthy man. He chooses a young, innocent wife, Leonora, to provide him with an heir. His jealousy causes him to lock her away, where she is never to have contact with the male sex.

The Jealous Old Man from Extremadura, the Illustrious Kitchen Maid, the Two Damsels

Cervantes

Nyibango Costa

These thoughts made him waver in his purpose, but, his madness being stronger than any other faculty, he resolved to have himself dubbed a knight by the first person he met…

ayoni

Heaven has made me, so you say, beautiful, and so much so that in spite of yourselves my beauty leads you to love me; and for the love you show me you say, and even urge, that I am bound to love you. By that natural understanding which God has given me I know that everything beautiful attracts love, but I cannot see how, by reason of being loved, that which is loved for its beauty is bound to love that which loves it; besides, it may happen that the lover of that which is beautiful may be ugly, and ugliness being detestable, it is very absurd to say, I love thee because thou art beautiful, thou must love me though I be ugly." But supposing the beauty cqual on both sides, it does not follow that the inclinations must be therefore alike, for it is not every beauty that excites love, some but pleasing the eye without winning the affection; and if every sort of beauty excited love and won the heart, the will would wander vaguely to and fro unable to make choice of any; for as there is an infinity of beautiful objects there must be an infinity of inclinations, and true love, I have heard it said, is indivisible, and must be voluntary and not compelled. 

as I believe it to be, why do you desire me to bend my will by force, for no other reason but that you say you love me? Nay-tell me-had Heaven made me ugly, as it has made me beautiful, could I with justice complain of you for not loving me? Moreover, you must remember that the beauty I possess was no choice of mine, for, be it what it may, Heaven of its bounty gave it me without my asking or choosing it; and as the viper, though it kills with it, does not deserve to be blamed for the poison it carries, as it is a gift of nature, neither do I deserve reproach for being beautiful; for beauty in a modest woman is like fire at a distance or a sharp sword; the one does not burn, the other does not cut, those who do not come too near. 

Cervantes quotes

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