A writing sample for my resume

1. Nathan Schultz NathanSchultz
4/29/15 1
ENGL 2007-62957
All classic literature dates back to the tradition of oral storytelling. In this vein, one of
the oldest literary forms to exist is that of the epic poem. An epic can be defined as “a long,
often book-length, narrative in verse form that retells the heroic journey of a single person.
Elements that typically distinguish epics include superhuman deeds, great battles, highly stylized
language, and a blending of lyrical and dramatic traditions (Poets.org). During the Renaissance
era, however, a subversion of the epic form, known as the mock epic, gained popularity amongst
Italian and Spanish authors. The mock epic seeks to satirize many of the tropes common to epics
by either contradicting typical epic standards, or by exaggerating them to the point of absurdity.
Chief amongst these mock epics is Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes. In this novel,
we see Cervantes play with the tropes common to epics through his characterization of the
novel’s namesake protagonist as a frail, insane old man; the nature of the journey which he
undertakes and conflicts he faces, which often resolve themselves in a tragic or embarrassing
manner; and the language used by the narrator to describe the proceedings, As for why Cervantes
would want to create a novel undermining the epic tradition, it is best to study Don Quixote as a
reflection of humanist movement, as well as the transitional nature of renaissance Europe.
Perhaps the most obvious way that Cervantes chooses to subvert the epic tradition is
through the portrayal of his main character. Don Quixote is described as “close on to fifty, of a
robust constitution but with little flesh on his bones and a face that was lean and gaunt.”
(Cervantes 1672). Cervantes then goes on to describe Don Quixote as a “madman” who’s “wits
were beyond repair”, with other characters mocking his demeanor and appearance throughout the
novel: “The goatherd stared at him, observing in some astonishment the knight’s
unprepossessing appearance. ‘sir’, he said, turning to the barber who sat beside him, ‘who is this
man who looks so strange and talks in this way?” (Cervantes 1745)

2. Nathan Schultz NathanSchultz
4/29/15 2
ENGL 2007-62957
The traditional epic hero is a figure meant to embody the virtues most valued by his
culture. Eighteenth century English poet John Dryden describes the epic hero archetype as
follows:
The shining quality of an epic hero, his magnanimity, his constancy, his patience, his
piety, or whatever characteristical virtue his poet gives him, raises first our
admiration…This is the Æneas of our author; this is that idea of perfection in an epic
poem which painters and statuaries have only in their minds, and which no hands are able
to express. These are the beauties of a God in a human body… (Dryden 20)
An epic hero is meant to serve as the ideal human being. He is either portrayed as having no
negative character traits, or whatever negative traits he portrays will be downplayed within the
context of the story. This creates an interesting contrast for Don Quixote, who, based on the
description given by Cervantes, is written in a very unflattering and unheroic light.
However, this unorthodox portrayal of Don Quixote’s character serves to highlight an
important shift in the focus of the narrative. While previous epic heroes served as idealized
human beings and paragons of societal standards, their lack of flaws served to make them less
relatable for readers, and less well-rounded as characters. Having a flawless protagonist would
not have suited Cervantes’s purpose though, since “Renaissance authors, like the characters they
invented, inhabited a world of such widespread revolutionary change that they could not
passively receive the traditional wisdom of previous ages.” (Puchner 1608) By bringing Don
Quixote’s shortcomings to the forefront of the novel, Cervantes creates a more dynamic
character, with his thoughts and ideas becoming central to the story. In short, Don Quixote is
one of the first epics to focus on characters, rather than ideals.

3. Nathan Schultz NathanSchultz
4/29/15 3
ENGL 2007-62957
In keeping with the idea that epics exist as idealized versions of reality, the language of
epic poems is often very formal and stylized, with emphasis on exaggerated character traits or
descriptions of events. In particular, classic epics made use of a form of meter known as the
Dactylic Hexameter, with the works of Homer often including a number of metaphors and
allegorical references which were used to fill the meter. (Myer 2128)
Don Quixote subverts this tradition by having the protagonist be similarly overly-
eloquent in his manner of speaking, but exaggerated to an absurd extend. Because Don Quixote
is a frail old man, he often proves himself incapable of matching the physical deeds of the
knights that he is attempting to emulate. Rather, the primary method with which he
demonstrates his civic virtues is through his dialog, as “Cervantes’ protagonist does many more
things with words than his avowed chivalric model.” (Gaylord 7)
Cervantes’s decision to portray Don Quixote through his words, rather than his actions, is
typical of an author of the humanist movement. The humanism movement placed emphasis on
each person’s ability to think empirically, as well as craft eloquent verbal arguments in support
of his or her position. (Wadsworth 3) As such, the use of violence, or physical prowess, as a
means of conveying chivalrous virtues, was frowned upon by Cervantes and his contemporaries.
Another way in which Don Quixote diverges from the traditional epic is in Cervantes’s
depiction of violence and warfare. Epic’s often serve to glorify feats of warfare, with particular
emphasis placed on the impressive exploits of the protagonist. This section from The Iliad
describing the end of the battle between the hero, Achilles, and his rival, Hector, demonstrates
this:

4. Nathan Schultz NathanSchultz
4/29/15 4
ENGL 2007-62957
A gleam in the air as Achilles poised his spear with murderous aim at Hector, Eyes
boring into the beautiful skin searching for the weak spot. Hector’s body was encased in
the glowing bronze armor he had stripped from the fallen Patroclus, but where the
collarbones join at the neck the gullet offered swift and certain death. It was there
Achilles drove his spear through as Hector charged, the heavy bronze apex pierced the
soft neck bud did not slit the windpipe, so that Hector could still speak. (Homer 153)
Special note should be given to the remarkable yet impractical way in which Achilles is able to
disable Hector, without outright killing him. This allows for Achilles to taunt his defeated
opponent, and further accentuates his victory, as well as his reputation as the greatest of the
Greek warriors.
Don Quixote’s combat achievements are, by comparison, far less impressive: “As Don
Quixote sets about trying to make his name through daring feats, actual war seems both elusive
and overwhelming. Instead, Cervantes gives us a series of fantasies that ironize the conventional
representation of heroism in a romantic key.” (Fuchs 5) After failing to find more legitimate
opponents, Don Quixote settles on doing battle with the likes of windmills, which he describes as
“Some thirty or more lawless giants with whom I must do battle”; sheep, which are reimagined
as “A vast army marching in this direction and composed on many nations”; and monks, who are
“black-clad enchanters who are bearing with them a captive princess” (Cervantes 1698-1733).
The absurdity of Don Quixote engaging in battle with these fantastical threats is emphasized
further when each “opponent” manages to defeat him in combat, often leaving him gravely
injured and in need of long sessions of recuperation.

5. Nathan Schultz NathanSchultz
4/29/15 5
ENGL 2007-62957
By demonstrating the ridiculousness of Don Quixote’s battles, as well as describing-in
excruciating detail-the severe injuries that he suffers as a result of each encounter, Cervantes is
creating a commentary on the nature of warfare as it relates to classical ideals of heroism.
Rather, “the hackneyed, vastly inaccurate notion that the “light” of the Renaissance broke
through a long “night” of the Middle Ages…was held by the humanist scholars of the
Renaissance themselves.” (Puchner 1614-1615). Because scholars of the Renaissance valued
intelligence and self-actualization over combat, Don Quixote’s attempts to win glory by the
sword, instead of through his words, are depicted as pitiful and repetitive, with any marginal
rewards gained being far eclipsed by the severe toll that these battles take on his body.
It is also possible that Don Quixote’s failed battles serve as a reflection of Cervantes’s
own personal views on warfare. Cervantes served in the Spanish navy during the Battle of
Lepanto, where several gunshot wounds compromised his left hand, and he and his crew were
later captured and sold into slavery. While Cervantes never wrote an autobiography about his
military service or his five subsequent years as a slave, his unfortunate military career might help
to explain the novel’s cynical views on warfare. (Puchner 1666)
Cervantes’s greatest subversion of the epic genre, however, comes with the death of Don
Quixote at the end of part II. While the protagonist of an epic does not always die at the end of
the poem, his death is often treated as the culmination of his heroic feats. For example,
Beowulf’s protagonist and namesake also dies at the end of his story:
“They had killed the enemy, courage quelled his life; that pair of kinsmen, partners in
nobility, had destroyed the foe. So every man should act, be at hand when needed; but
now, for the king this would be the last of his many labors and triumphs in the world.

6. Nathan Schultz NathanSchultz
4/29/15 6
ENGL 2007-62957
Then the wound dealt by the ground-burner earlier began to scald and swell.”-(Beowulf
951)
After killing the dragon that was threatening his kingdom, Beowulf dies in the arms of his best
friend, on top of the dragon’s large pile of gold. In short, Beowulf’s final battle represents the
pinnacle of his conquests. (Bammesberg 5)
Don Quixote’s death comes unexpectedly when he falls ill of a fever, and must remain
bedridden for several weeks. When the knight-errant finally wakes up, his sanity has been
restored: “My mind is now clear, unencumbered by those misty shadows of ignorance that were
cast over it…I am no longer Don Quixote de la Mancha but Alonso Quijano…those profane
stores dealing with knight-errantry are odious to me, and I realize how foolish I was and the
danger I courted in reading them.” (Cervantes 1798) Don Quixote, now reverted to his birth
name of Alonso Quijano, proceeds to seek repentance for the sins he committed while questing,
denounces the concept of chivalry and all works relating to it, and creates a will and testament
leaving his estate to his niece Antonia Quijana, before promptly succumbing to his
illness.(Cervantes 1800) And so, unlike with Beowulf, Don Quixote’s death serves, not to
accentuate or immortalize his heroic deeds, but rather to undermine every action he had taken in
the story up until this point.
While the exact reason for this tonal shift is still debated by literary critics, one possible
explanation involves a copyright dispute between Miguel Cervantes, and an author who went by
the pseudonym Alonso Fernández de Avellaneda: “Cervantes, it would appear, has just had his
first real look at Avellaneda's work and is truly appalled and hurt. His protagonist has not only
been plagiarized, but transformed and distorted, and his own person besmirched in an insulting

7. Nathan Schultz NathanSchultz
4/29/15 7
ENGL 2007-62957
and vulgar manner.” (Lo Re 28) Indeed, Cervantes was so infuriated by this plagiarization of his
character that he included an aside at the end of his novel expressly denouncing all possibility of
a sequel: “perceiving that their friend was no more, the curate asked the notary to be a witness
to the fact that Alonso Quijano the Good, commonly known as Don Quixote, was truly dead, this
being necessary in order that some author might not have the opportunity of falsely resurrecting
him and writing endless histories of his exploits.” (Cervantes 1800)
But while Cervantes’s desire to refute the false Don Quixote sequel may have been the
primary motivation behind the protagonist’s sudden death, it does not completely explain Don
Quixote’s deathbed denouncement of chivalry, nor does it explain why Cervantes would want to
undermine all the events of the story that led up to this point. However, a possible explanation
for this tonal shift can be gleamed from studying the novel as a part of the humanist movement.
“Definitions of the Renaissance must take into account of the period’s preoccupation with this
life rather than with the life beyond…human behavior is judged not in terms of right and wrong,
but in terms of its present concrete validity and effectiveness.”(Puchner 1615)
When Don Quixote is bedridden by his illness, he is deprived of the ability to act, which,
in the eyes of Cervantes, serves as a fate worse than death. This is why the persona of Don
Quixote ceases to exist, instead being replaced by the pitiable and repentant Alonso Quijano,
who apologizes on his behalf. “Quixote's final display of grief stems, we have seen, from his
defeat and his failure to achieve his ideal...Alonso Quixano grieves too…for having wanted
knights errant to exist and then learning that they do not and have not ever existed. As one they
die, indeed, for the same reasons.” (Lo Re 42) In doing this, Cervantes is attempting to bridge the
gap between his desire to prevent future sequels, and his desire to provide a satisfying ending to
Don Quixote’s story. (Lo Re 35)

8. Nathan Schultz NathanSchultz
4/29/15 8
ENGL 2007-62957
In writing this novel, Cervantes created a work which satirizes the traditional standards of
epic poetry through the subversion of a number of tropes which are common to the genre. In
doing this, Cervantes exposes himself as being torn between two contrasting world views. On
the one hand, the character of Don Quixote serves as a spokesman for traditional civic ideals,
albeit exaggerated to the point of parody. By contrast, the story that Don Quixote finds himself
in, and the harsh treatment he receives from other characters, imply a very cynical worldview on
the part of the author. (Cervantes 1673-1676)
In this sense, it’s not hard to imagine Cervantes in the role of the embittered idealist, who
wishes that the world functioned based on civic ideals, but also possesses the self-awareness
necessary to recognize the unfortunate, pessimistic nature of the world around him. By
contrasting traditional epic themes, Cervantes creates a debate between two contrasting world
views: The idealized heroism of the classic epic, and the satirical nature of the mock-epic.
(Cervantes 1673-1676)

9. Nathan Schultz NathanSchultz
4/29/15 9
ENGL 2007-62957
Works Cited:
“Poetic Form: Epic” Poets 2014. Web. 29 April 2015
“Beowulf” The Norton Anthology ofWorld Literature. Gen. ed. Martin Puchner, 3rd ed. Vol.
F. New York: Norton, 2012. Print.
Bammesberger, Alfred. "Beowulf's Death." Notes And Queries 49 (247).3 (2002): 314-315.
MLA International Bibliography. Web.29 Apr. 2015.
Dryden, John. A Discourse On Epic Poetry. n.p.: ICON Group International, Inc, 2008.
Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 29 Apr. 2015.
Fuchs, B. "Dismantling Heroism: The Exhaustion Of War In Don Quijote." Pmla-Publications
Of The Modern Language Association Of America 124.5 (n.d.): 1842-1846. Arts & Humanities Citation
Index. Web. 29 Apr. 2015.
Gaylord, Mary Malcolm. “Don Quixote’s New World of Language” Cervantes: Bulletin of the
CervantesSociety of America. Spring 2007. Web
Homer, “The Iliad”. The Norton Anthology ofWorld Literature. Gen. ed. Martin Puchner
3rd ed. Vol. F. New York: Norton, 2012. Print.
Lo Ré, A. G. “The Three Deaths of Don Quixote: Comments in Favor of the Romantic Critical
Approach” Cervantes: Bulletin of the Cervantes Society of America. Spring 1989: 21-42. Web.
Puchner, Martin, gen. ed. The Norton Anthology of World Literature.3rd ed. Vol. F.
New York: Norton, 2012. Print.
Renaissance Classical Humanism. n.p.: Wadsworth,2014. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web.
29 Apr. 2015.