Cervantes and Empire

Born in 1547, at a time when Charles V was leader of the western world and ruled the largest empire ever known, Miguel de Cervantes would reflect on his imperial habitat and experiences throughout his works. Cervantes exhibits his pride at fighting for the empire and foregrounds his role at the famous Battle of Lepanto, a naval battle that saw western powers put a stop to the Ottomans, the second great empire of the period with which it competed for control of the Mediterranean. At the same time, his works often problematize questions of empire, from specific tactics in war, to the morality of waging war against other Christian nations, to general questions of imperial expansionism. This essay will point to a continuing wavering and ambiguity in his relations to empire, starting from his first substantial works in the early 1580s until his demise in 1616.