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SECTION
1
Page 142 Thursday, January 25, 2007 1:35 PM
Philip II wears royal dress.
In the background, his Armada
heads to England.
Step-by-Step
Instruction
Objectives
As you teach this section, keep students
focused on the following objectives to help
them answer the Section Focus Question
and master core content.
■
Describe the empire that Charles V
inherited.
■
Analyze how Spanish power increased
under Philip II.
■
Explain how the arts flourished during
Spain’s golden age.
A late 1500s Spanish coin
commemorates Philip’s rule.
WITNESS HISTORY
1
AUDIO
A Working Monarch
“It is best to keep an eye on everything,” Philip II
of Spain often said—and he meant it. As king of
the most powerful nation in Europe, he gave little
time to pleasure. Instead, he plowed through a
mountain of paperwork each day, making notes
on even the most trivial matters. But Philip’s
determination to “keep an eye on everything”
extended far beyond trivia. It helped him build
Spain into a strong centralized state. By the late
1500s, he had concentrated all power in his own
hands. Over the next 200 years, other European
monarchs would pursue similar goals.
Focus Question How did Philip II extend
Spain’s power and help establish a golden age?
Spanish Power Grows
Prepare to Read
Build Background Knowledge
Objectives
L3
Ask students to predict how the trading
empires built by European nations in
Asia, Africa, and the Americas affected
Europe’s monarchs. Ask them to predict
what European monarchs might do with
their increased wealth.
Set a Purpose
■
L3
Terms, People, and Places
Hapsburg empire
Charles V
Philip II
absolute monarch
divine right
armada
El Greco
Miguel de Cervantes
WITNESS HISTORY Read the selection
aloud or play the audio.
AUDIO Witness History Audio CD,
A Working Monarch
Ask What were the advantages and
drawbacks of Philip “keeping an
eye on everything”? (Sample: He
could make sure government was running the way he wanted it to, but this
created a situation where the nation
depended too much on one person.)
■
Focus Point out the Section Focus
Question and write it on the board.
Tell students to refer to this question
as they read. (Answer appears with
Section 1 Assessment answers.)
■
Preview Have students preview the
Section Objectives and the list of
Terms, People, and Places.
■
• Describe the empire that Charles V inherited.
• Analyze how Spanish power increased under
Philip II.
• Explain how the arts flourished during Spain’s
golden age.
Reading Skill Have students use the
Reading Strategy: Compare and Contrast worksheet.
Teaching Resources, Unit 1, p. 69
142 The Age of Absolutism
Reading Skill: Identify Main Ideas and
Supporting Details As you read about how
Philip II extended Spanish power, create an outline
to record details that support the main ideas in this
section. This example will help you get started.
I. Charles V Inherits Two Crowns
A. Ruling the Hapsburg Empire
1. Spain
2. Holy Roman Empire and Netherlands
B. Charles V abdicates
By the 1500s, Spain had shaken off its feudal past and emerged
as the first modern European power. Queen Isabella and King
Ferdinand had unified the country, enforced religious unity, and
commanded the Spanish conquest of the Americas.
Charles V Inherits Two Crowns
In 1516, Ferdinand and Isabella’s grandson, Charles I, became
king of Spain, and thereby ruler of the Spanish colonies in the
Americas as well.
Ruling the Hapsburg Empire When his other grandfather
died in 1519, Charles I also became heir to the sprawling
Hapsburg empire, which included the Holy Roman Empire and
the Netherlands. As ruler of this empire, Charles took the name
Charles V. Historians now usually refer to him by this title.
Ruling two empires involved Charles in constant warfare. As a
devout Catholic, he fought to suppress Protestantism in the German states. After years of religious conflict, however, Charles was
forced to allow the German princes to choose their own religion.
Charles also faced the Muslim Ottoman empire, which was
based in Turkey but stretched across the Balkans. Under Suleiman, Ottoman forces advanced across central Europe to the walls
surrounding Vienna, Austria. Although Austria held firm during
the siege, the Ottomans occupied much of Hungary following their
crushing victory at the Battle of Mohács. Ottoman naval forces
also continued to challenge Spanish power in the Mediterranean.
Vocabulary Builder
Use the information below and the following resources to teach the high-use word from this section.
Teaching Resources, Unit 1, p. 68; Teaching Resources, Skills Handbook, p. 3
High-Use Word
cumbersome, p. 143
Definition and Sample Sentence
adj. hard to handle because of size, weight, or many parts
The refrigerator was extremely cumbersome to move upstairs into a secondfloor apartment.
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For: Audio guided tour
Web Code: nbp-1611
The Wars of Philip II, 1571–1588
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Map Skills Phillip II waged war to
increase Spanish power and defend
Roman Catholicism.
1. Locate (a) Spain (b) Madrid
(c) Ottoman Empire (d) Strait of
Lepanto (e) Netherlands (f) English
Channel.
2. Region Which battles shown on the
map took place in a territory ruled
directly by Spain?
3. Analyzing Information Why do you
think Spain joined Venice and other
Italian states in defending the Strait
of Lepanto?
Rome
Naples
T
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Bla
Cons
AN
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Naples
of Le
Battle )
(15 71
Sardinia
Mediterranean Sea
T
.
panto
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tan
0
200
Spanish Hapsburg
possessions
Boundary of Holy
Roman Empire
Battle site
Introduce: Vocabulary Builder
Have students read the Vocabulary
Builder term and definition. Then
direct their attention to the map. Ask
them why it would be cumbersome for
one person to rule the Holy Roman
Empire and the Spanish Hapsburg
possessions.
■
Teach Ask With whom did Charles V
go to war? (German states and the
Ottoman Empire) What were the
main reasons for these wars? (religion and competition for territory)
■
Analyzing the Visuals Direct students’ attention to the map. Have students compare this map to the map of
religions on page 70. Then ask students which of the battles shown on
the map on this page occurred on the
boundaries between two religions. (all
of them)
E
400 mi
400 km
L3
■
N
Conic Projection
200
0
Charles V Inherits
Two Crowns
E
Strait of
Lepanto
Sicily
Teach
Instruct
ea
ck S
pl e
tino
Have students read this
section using the Paragraph Shrinking
strategy (TE, p. T20). As they read,
have students create an outline with
information about Spain under Philip II.
Reading and Note Taking
Study Guide, pp. 63–64
W
S
Charles V Abdicates The Hapsburg empire proved to be too scattered
Vocabulary Builder
and cumbersome for any one person to rule effectively. Exhausted and
disillusioned, Charles V gave up his titles and entered a monastery in
1556. He divided his empire, leaving the Hapsburg lands in central
Europe to his brother Ferdinand, who became Holy Roman emperor. He
gave Spain, the Netherlands, some southern Italian states, and Spain’s
overseas empire to his 29-year-old son Philip, who became Philip II.
cumbersome—(KUM bur sum) adj. hard
to handle because of size, weight, or
many parts
Why did Charles V divide the Hapsburg Empire?
Independent Practice
Philip II Solidifies Power
During his 42-year reign, Philip II expanded Spanish influence,
strengthened the Catholic Church, and made his own power absolute.
Thanks in part to silver from Spanish colonies in the Americas, he made
Spain the foremost power in Europe.
Centralizing Power Like his father, Philip II was hard working,
devout, and ambitious. Unlike many other monarchs, Philip devoted
most of his time to government work. He seldom hunted, never jousted,
and lived as simply as a monk. The King’s isolated, somber palace outside Madrid, known as the Escorial (es kohr YAHL), reflected his character. It served as a church, a residence, and a tomb for the royal family.
Have students access Web Code nbp1611 to take the Geography Interactive Audio Guided Tour and then
answer the map skills questions in the
text.
Monitor Progress
Ask students what specific difficulties
Charles faced in ruling two empires.
(lengthy communication delays, problems
defending so many borders, differences in
language and religion)
Solutions for All Learners
L1 Special Needs
L2 English Language Learners
Assign students to work in pairs. Have one student
scan the text and read out the names of places. Have
the other student locate each place named on the
map. When they reach the Infographic, have students
trade places. Then ask students to explain, using the
map, why Philip’s plan to invade England was likely to
encounter difficulties.
L2 Less Proficient Readers
Use the following resources to help students acquire
basic skills:
Adapted Reading and Note Taking
Study Guide
■ Adapted Note Taking Study Guide, pp. 63–64
■ Adapted Section Summary, p. 65
Answers
It was too difficult for one person to rule
effectively.
Map Skills
1. Review locations with students.
2. the Netherlands revolts
3. Spain did not want the Ottomans to control the
Mediterranean.
Chapter 4 Section 1 143
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Philip II Solidifies
Power
Page 144 Monday, June 26, 2006 9:40 AM
L3
Instruct
■
Introduce: Key Terms Ask students
to find the key terms absolute
monarch and divine right (in blue) in
the text and explain their meanings.
Ask What groups might resist an
absolute monarch? (Sample: feudal
lords, religious officials, a parliament
or legislative body, ministers) Discuss
how belief in divine right might affect
how a monarch governed.
■
Teach Trace the rise and decline of
Spain’s power. Ask What was Philip’s
main military victory? (defeat of the
Ottoman fleet) What were his two
major defeats? (loss of the northern
provinces of the Netherlands and the
defeat of the Spanish Armada) Discuss
whether he was more successful overall
than his father had been. Ask How did
Spain’s colonies in the Americas
lead to its economic decline?
(Riches from the colonies led to neglect
of farming and commerce and soaring
inflation. Also, the government taxed
and weakened the middle class.)
■
Analyzing the Visuals Have groups
of students examine and discuss the
Infographic on this page. Ask groups to
list the strengths and weaknesses of
each strategy Philip II used to solidify
power. Then use the Numbered Heads
strategy (TE, p. T23) to have groups
share their responses with the class.
Thinking Critically
1. Apply Information What various
purposes could royal marriages serve
during the age of absolutism?
2. Understand Cause and Effect How
did Philip’s colonies in the Americas
affect his goals for Spain?
Independent Practice
Ask students to write a paragraph
explaining why the defeat of the Spanish
Armada was such an important event of
the period.
Philip surpassed Ferdinand and Isabella in making every part of the
government responsible to him. He reigned as an absolute monarch, a
ruler with complete authority over the government and the lives of the
people. Like other European rulers, Philip asserted that he ruled by
divine right. That is, he believed that his authority to rule came
directly from God. Philip therefore saw himself as the guardian of the
Roman Catholic Church. The great undertaking of his life was to defend
Monitor Progress
As students create their outlines, circulate to make sure they identify the main
events of Philip’s rule. For a completed
version of the outline, see
Note Taking Transparencies, 128
History Background
Answers
Thinking Critically
1. They could cement alliances, prevent war, and
bring wealth, land, or power.
2. They provided great wealth that helped to
finance Spain’s wars in Europe, but this wealth
also caused inflation and undermined Spain’s
economic strength.
144 The Age of Absolutism
The Divine Right of Europe’s Monarchs
Since the Middle Ages, Europe’s monarchs had struggled
to assert power over feudal lords. Some early monarchs
were elected, but over time Europe’s royal families
retained power by making monarchy hereditary—
passed down within families. They also developed an
ideology to support their claims to absolute power. It
reached its height in the 1600s when Jacques-Bénigne
Bossuet, a French bishop who admired Louis XIV, formulated the concept of the divine right of kings. Bossuet
argued that monarchs were chosen by God and therefore
should be obeyed absolutely. This idea allowed European
kings and queens to bring all aspects of government,
trade, and religion under their rule.
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the Catholic Reformation and turn back the rising Protestant tide in
Europe. Within his empire, Philip enforced religious unity, turning the
Inquisition against Protestants and other people thought to be heretics.
Spain’s Golden Age
Instruct
Battles in the Mediterranean and the Netherlands Philip fought
many wars as he attempted to advance Spanish Catholic power. In the
Mediterranean, the Ottoman empire continued to pose a threat to European control of the region. At the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, Spain and its
Italian allies soundly defeated an Ottoman fleet off the coast of Greece.
Although the Ottoman Empire would remain a major power in the Mediterranean region for three more centuries, Christians still hailed the
battle as a great victory and a demonstration of Spain’s power.
During the last half of his reign, Philip battled rebels in the Netherlands. At the time, the region included 17 provinces that are today Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. It was the richest part of Philip’s
empire. Protestants in the region resisted Philip’s efforts to crush their
faith. Protestants and Catholics alike opposed high taxes and autocratic
Spanish rule, which threatened local traditions of self-government.
In the 1560s, riots against the Inquisition sparked a general uprising
in the Netherlands. Savage fighting raged for decades. In 1581, the
northern, largely Protestant provinces declared their independence from
Spain and became known as the Dutch Netherlands. They did not gain
official recognition, however, until 1648. The southern, mostly Catholic
provinces of the Netherlands remained part of the Spanish Empire.
The Armada Sails Against England By the 1580s, Philip saw
England’s Queen Elizabeth I as his chief Protestant enemy. First
secretly, then openly, Elizabeth had supported the Dutch against Spain.
She encouraged English captains such as Francis Drake, known as sea
dogs, to plunder Spanish treasure ships and loot Spanish cities in the
Americas. To Philip’s dismay, Elizabeth made the pirate Drake a knight.
To end English attacks and subdue the Dutch,
Philip prepared a huge armada, or fleet, to carry a
Spanish invasion force to England. In 1588, the
Spanish Armada sailed with more than 130 ships,
20,000 men, and 2,400 pieces of artillery. The Spanish were confident of victory. “When we meet the
English,” predicted one Spanish commander, “God
will surely arrange matters so that we can grapple
and board them, either by sending some strange
freak of weather or, more likely, just by depriving the
English of their wits.”
This prediction did not come to pass. In the English
Channel, lumbering Spanish ships were outmaneuvered by the lighter, faster English ships. Strong
winds favored the English, scattering the Armada.
After further disasters at sea, the tattered remnants
limped home in defeat.
L3
Spain Loses Territory
The Treaty of Munster, signed in 1648,
recognized the independence of the
Netherlands’ Protestant provinces.
■
Introduce Display Color Transparency 97: Spanish Tapestry. Ask students what sort of scene is shown and
what it says about the Siglo de oro. Ask
who might have commissioned the tapestry, given the enormous labor and cost.
Color Transparencies, 97
■
Teach Ask What were the key
themes of Siglo de oro painters and
writers? (religion, nobles, royalty) How
did the writer Cervantes chronicle
the end of feudalism? (He satirized
chivalry and those who pursued it.)
■
Analyzing the Visuals Direct students to the El Greco painting on the
next page. Ask How do El Greco’s
themes, atmosphere, and artistry
reflect the age of Philip II? (They are
both intensely religious, somber, exquisitely precise.)
Independent Practice
Have students research a Siglo de oro
painter or writer and write a letter to a
Spanish king praising that person’s work
and recommending that the king provide
the artist with royal support. Have students read their letters to the class.
Monitor Progress
Check Reading and Note Taking Study
Guide entries for student understanding.
An Empire Declines The defeat of the Armada
marked the beginning of the end of Spanish power.
Throughout the 1600s, Spain’s strength and prosperity decreased. One reason for this decline was that
Philip II’s successors ruled far less ably than he had.
Solutions for All Learners
L4 Gifted and Talented
L4 Advanced Readers
Scholars have studied the defeat of the Spanish
Armada extensively. According to one scholar, a newly
found letter reveals that the Ottomans, at England’s
request, kept much of Spain’s fleet busy in the Mediterranean. Another scholar, analyzing evidence found
on Spanish ships, argues that the Spanish carried shot
that did not fit their cannons. Others say Spanish ships
were built for traditional naval battles, involving grappling and boarding. New, lighter, faster English ships
evaded boarding while shooting with longer-range
guns. Have students research and write an essay taking a position on the reasons for the defeat of the
Armada and illustrate their essay with maps and diagrams. Then conduct a debate on the subject.
Chapter 4 Section 1 145
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Economic problems were also to blame. Costly overseas wars drained
wealth out of Spain almost as fast as it came in. Treasure from the Americas led Spain to neglect farming and commerce. The government heavily
taxed the small middle class, weakening a group that in other European
nations supported royal power. The expulsion of Muslims and Jews from
Spain deprived the economy of many skilled artisans and merchants.
Finally, the influx of American gold and silver led to soaring inflation.
As Spain’s power dwindled in the 1600s and 1700s, Dutch, English, and
French fleets challenged—and eventually surpassed—Spanish power both
in Europe and around the world.
Assess and Reteach
Assess Progress
■
Have students complete the
Section Assessment.
■
Administer the Section Quiz.
L3
Teaching Resources, Unit 1, p. 63
■
To further assess student understanding, use
Progress Monitoring Transparencies, 67
Reteach
What were Philip II’s motivations for waging war?
Spain’s Golden Age
L1 L2
If students need more instruction, have
them read the section summary.
Reading and Note Taking
L3
Study Guide, p. 65
Adapted Reading and
L1 L2
Note Taking Study Guide, p. 65
Spanish Reading and
Note Taking Study Guide, p. 65
Extend
View of Toledo
El Greco’s painting shows the Spanish
city of Toledo, where he lived for 40
years. This is El Greco’s only landscape
painting. How does El Greco express
religious themes in this painting?
L2
L4
Have students choose two non-European
countries that have a history of rule by
monarchs. Have them research their
countries’ histories and write an essay
addressing whether the monarch in each
country claimed a divine right to rule or
the backing of a god or gods.
The century from 1550 to 1650 is often referred to as Spain’s Siglo de Oro
(SEEG loh day OHR oh), or “golden century,” for the brilliance of its arts
and literature. Philip II was an enthusiastic patron of the arts and also
founded academies of science and mathematics.
Among the famous painters of this period was a man called El Greco,
meaning “the Greek.” Though not Spanish by birth, El Greco is considered to be a master of Spanish painting. Born on the Greek island of
Crete, El Greco had studied in Italy before settling in Spain. He produced haunting religious pictures and striking portraits of Spanish
nobles. El Greco’s use of vibrant colors influenced the work of Diego
Velázquez (vuh LAHS kes), court painter to King Philip IV. Velázquez is
perhaps best known for his vivid portraits of Spanish royalty.
Spain’s golden century produced several outstanding writers. Lope de
Vega (LOH pay duh VAY guh), a peasant by birth, wrote more than 1,500
plays, including witty comedies and action-packed romances. Miguel de
Cervantes (sur VAN teez) was the most important writer of Spain’s golden
age. His Don Quixote, which pokes fun at medieval tales of chivalry, is considered to be Europe’s first modern novel. Although Don Quixote mocks
the traditions of Spain’s feudal past, Cervantes depicts with affection both
the foolish but heroic idealism of Don Quixote and the unromantic, earthy
realism of his sidekick, Sancho Panza.
What was the Siglo de Oro?
Answers
advancing Catholicism and increasing Spain’s
power
Caption Sample: A church tower points to the
sky; a heavenly light bathes the city.
It was a golden century of Spanish arts and literature, from 1550 to 1650.
1
Terms, People, and Places
1. For each term, person, or place listed at
the beginning of the section, write a
sentence explaining its significance.
2. Reading Skill: Identify Main Ideas
and Supporting Details Use your
completed outline to answer the Focus
Question: How did Philip II extend
Spain’s power and help establish a
golden age?
Section 1 Assessment
1. Sentences should reflect an understanding
of each term, person, or place listed at the
beginning of the section.
2. Philip II asserted absolute power, waged
war, and supported the arts, all to extend
Spain’s power and prestige.
3. Both sought to ensure absolute power and
strengthen Catholicism, but Philip was
more determined and successful.
146 The Age of Absolutism
Progress Monitoring Online
For: Self-quiz with vocabulary practice
Web Code: nba-1611
Comprehension and Critical Thinking
3. Compare and Contrast How were
Charles V and Philip II alike and different in their goals of ensuring absolute
power and strengthening Catholicism?
4. Synthesize Information Why did
Spanish power and prosperity decline?
5. Summarize Why is the period from
1550 to 1650 considered Spain’s
golden age?
4. Costly wars, inflation, bad economic
choices, and faulty leadership caused
Spain’s decline.
5. It was a period of unusual brilliance in
the arts and literature.
● Writing About History
Quick Write: Generate Arguments
Choose a topic from this section that could
be the subject of a persuasive essay—for
example, whether England was really a
threat to Spain. Then write two thesis
statements, one arguing each side of your
topic. Make sure that the arguments clearly
explain opposite or differing opinions on
the topic.
● Writing About History
Each thesis statement should address a
valid topic and be suitable for development
in a persuasive essay. Students should take
positions on two opposing sides of the topic
and explain those positions clearly in their
thesis statements.
For additional assessment, have students
access Progress Monitoring Online at
Web Code nba-1611.
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LITERATURE
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
Don Quixote by Miguel
de Cervantes
Although the age of chivalry had long passed, stories about
knights-errant were still popular in the early 1600s. The
heroes of these stories were brave knights who traveled far
and wide performing noble deeds. Miguel de Cervantes’s
novel Don Quixote satirizes such romances. His hero,
the elderly Don Quixote, has read too many tales of chivalry.
Imagining himself a knight-errant, he sets out across the
Spanish countryside with his practical servant, Sancho
Panza. In this famous excerpt, Don Quixote’s noble motives
give dignity to his foolish battle with the windmills.
J
ust then they came in sight of thirty or forty windmills that rise from
that plain, and no sooner did Don Quixote see them than he said to his
squire: “Fortune is guiding our affairs better than we ourselves could have
wished. Do you see over yonder, friend Sancho, thirty or forty hulking
giants? I intend to do battle with them and slay them. With the spoils we
shall begin to be rich, for this is a righteous war. . . .”
“What giants?” asked Sancho Panza.
“Those you see over there,” replied his master, “with the long arms;
some of them have them well-nigh1 two leagues in length.”
“Take care, sir,” cried Sancho. “Those over there are not giants but
windmills, and those things that seem to be armed are their sails, which
when they are whirled around by the wind turn the millstone.”
“It is clear,” replied Don Quixote, “that you are not experienced in
adventures. Those are giants, and if you are afraid, turn aside and pray
whilst I enter into fierce and unequal battle with them.”
Uttering these words, he clapped spurs to Rozinante, his steed, without
heeding the cries of his squire, Sancho, who warned him that he was not
going to attack giants, but windmills. But so convinced was he that they
were giants that he neither heard his squire’s shouts nor did he notice
what they were, though he was very near them. Instead, he rushed on,
shouting in a loud voice: “Fly not, cowards and vile caitliffs2; one knight
alone attacks you!” At that moment a slight breeze arose and the great
sails began to move. . . .
He ran his lance into the sail, but the wind twisted it with such
violence that it shivered the lance in pieces and dragged both rider and
horse after it, rolling them over and over on the ground, sorely damaged.
Objectives
■ Understand
a key piece of literature
from Spain’s golden age.
■ Describe
the characters and themes of
Don Quixote and its portrayal of medieval chivalry.
Build Background Knowledge L3
Miguel de Cervantes
An illustration from Don Quixote
shows Sancho Panza shouting
after his master, who is battling
windmills.
Thinking Critically
1. well-nigh (wel ny) adv. nearly
2. caitliff (KAYT lif) n. cowardly person
1. Synthesize Information What values of chivalry
motivate Don Quixote’s attack on the windmills?
2. Analyze Literature How does Cervantes show
both sides of Don Quixote—the noble and the
foolish—in this excerpt?
History Background
Miguel de Cervantes As a young man, Cervantes
fought in the battle at Lepanto; he was shot three
times, his left hand permanently crippled. Returning
from war, he was enslaved by Algerian pirates for five
years. Although he returned a war hero, he was quickly
forgotten. He wrote perhaps thirty unsuccessful plays.
Desperate, he took a job provisioning the Spanish
Armada but was charged with embezzling funds and
jailed. Past fifty and wretchedly poor, Cervantes created
his masterpiece, Don Quixote, a popular satire. With its
lively and highly original characters and narrative, it is
viewed today as the first modern European novel. Cervantes is often ranked with Shakespeare, his contemporary, as one of literature’s most important writers.
Ask students to recall what they know
about the period of medieval chivalry.
Then ask them to recall what they know
about Spain during the time of Philip II.
Have them list the features that stayed
the same in European society and those
that changed between the two time periods. Then have students predict how
these factors might have affected Cervantes’s writing.
Instruct
■ Ask
What values do stories about
knights and chivalry embrace?
(individual heroism, Christian faith,
and a spirit of adventure and travel)
Where else were these values
expressed during the time of
Philip II? (in Spain’s colonial expansion and in its religious wars)
■ Ask
In Don Quixote’s mind, what
are his motives for attacking the
“giants”? (to prove his bravery, to gain
riches, and to engage in a “righteous
war”) What qualities in Don Quixote does Cervantes seem to
admire? (his courage, his desire to battle evil) What qualities in Don Quixote does Cervantes seem to mock?
(his inability to see the obvious and to
live in the present)
Monitor Progress
Share with students the History Background note about Cervantes’ life. Ask
students to write a paragraph exploring
how Cervantes’ own background shaped
his writing of Don Quixote. Have students include specific quotations from
the selection in their paragraph.
Thinking Critically
1. the desire to prove his courage and prowess in
battle, the desire to combat evil
2. He shows both sides by having Don Quixote voice
his noble intentions while Sancho Panza points
out the foolishness of Don Quixote’s actions.
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