A Novel Idea

Is it fair that Cervantes has been overshadowed by Shakespeare?

19:46 20 April 2016

Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare died just days apart 400 years ago. And although they are both highly respected in their field, there’s seems to be a huge difference in the scale of quantercentenary celebrations around the world, leading some fans of the Don Quixote author to cry foul.

 

The rollout of the massive Shakespeare Lives programmes of art events around the world is set to reach half a billion people. Meanwhile, the action plans for the celebration of life and works of Cervantes are far less ambitious involving just exhibitions and conferences in big city museums and libraries.

 

Dario Villanueva, director of the Spanish Royal Academy, said: "We've had 400 years to prepare for this,"

 

"There are a few events lined up but the figure of Cervantes deserves a major gesture on the part of our top institutions."

 

The Spanish Culture Ministry has admitted that the programme remains a “work in progress” saying that some events will not emerge from the pipeline until 2017.

 

Meanwhile, Spanish novelist and commentator Andres Trapiello, argued that the difference in commemorations is based on how the public relates to the artists.

 

"Sure, the state could have done more to promote the Cervantes event, but the fact is that Shakespeare is a much more popular writer," he says.

 

"His works last two or three hours in the theatre and have been made into God knows how many films. Cervantes wrote a number of works but above all Don Quixote, a 1,100-page work which you need to read with thousands of footnotes."