Cervantes Imitates Virgil in Don Quixote

What is it about?

This essay deals with the imitation and mutations of the epic genre in Don Quijote. After discussing Cervantes’ literary career as an imitation of Virgil’s cursus, many of the Virgilian elements in the novel are foregrounded. These, however are transformed as they are come in contact with forms and notions derived from Lucan’s Pharsalia.

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Why is it important?

We think of Cervantes' novel as creating something new, something that impacts today's fiction. We often forget that he is indebted to ancient texts and particularly to the epic tradition.