The GALATEA by Miguel de Cervantes

The galatea It is the first work published by Miguel de Cervantes. Its publication was in the year 1585 and it is a novel very influenced by the pastoral novels in which the protagonists are shepherds who live in an idealized nature and tell their feelings in a lyrical and metaphorical way. It is a work consisting of six books (or chapters) that tells us a main story starring Galatea and Elicio; but we also find four subplots that nourish the main one and help us to get to know the characters better.

In this lesson from a TEACHER we are going to offer you a summary of The galatea by Cervantes so that you can know the argument of this literary work and prepare your work or study for your exam. A work that ends with the promise of the author to write the second part, something that, however, never took place.

Before beginning with the summary of La Galatea, we are going to briefly approach this work to get to know it better and to understand the historical and cultural context in which it arose. The title of the play when it was released was

First part of La GalateaWell, as the author himself indicates, the initial idea had two parts; however, the second part was never written. It was published in 1585 and it is a book divided into 6 parts (or 6 books) that is believed to have started to be written by Cervantes when the author returned from Algiers, city in which he had been captive. It is framed within the subgenus of pastoral novels, but it was not as successful as the great works of the moment written by Gil Polo: Diana in Love.

Let's not forget that works by Miguel de Cervantes They have always been characterized by being different works, in which the author opted for new forms and different genres. His masterpiece is, without a doubt, Don Quixote, but in all of his production we can find this desire to innovate the lyrics. On The galatea we meet a complex and totally different structure:

• The Arcadia. It is the narrative place in which shepherds converse and debate about love.
• Novels within the novel. Although there is a main story, the truth is that in La Galatea there are four novels inserted in the main plot and that are intertwined with each other.
• Commendation of intellectuals or the "Song of Calliope". Finally, this novel includes a commendation that Cervantes dedicates to 100 intellectuals who published love poems during the author's time.

The shepherds that appear in this book by Cervantes, although they are presented as fictional characters, they are actually inspired by poets of the time: Francisco de Figueroa is one of the best known.

The main theme of La Galatea focuses on dialectical debates between the characters of the play. But, in addition, they are also included interspersed novels that give a more entertaining touch to the reading and that will feed the main argument; We will see this technique later in works such as The works of Persiles and Sigismunda or, of course, in Don Quixote.

Let's start with the summary of The galatea focusing on the plot that takes place from Book 1 to Book 3. In this way, you can better prepare your exercises and understand the plot of the novel.

Book 1 of The galatea

In this first part of Cervantes's novel we meet Elicio, a shepherd who lives near the Tagus and is in love with Galatea, a shepherdess and co-star of the play. Elicio sings his sorrows because Galatea is a woman who cannot decide if she wants to be with him or not. Then, Erastro will arrive, a pastor who is also in love with Galatea, but who does not want to seduce her because he respects very much the feeling that Elicio has for her wife.

Both lovers will begin to sing their love for Galatea, when they will witness how two men fight and one of them ends up stabbing the other. The killer will say that he has killed him because he was a traitor, but he does not go into further details. When Elicio and Erastro separate and go home, Elicio will meet the murderer in the forest and he will tell him his story: his name is Lisandro, a man in love with Leonida, a couple who live an impossible love because their families are in conflict. After trying by all means to get closer to Leonida, Carino (the murdered one) betrays him. How was this betrayal? Carino abused Leonida and, after doing so, she gave it to another pastor named Libeo. But, along the way, Leonida's brother kills his sister believing that he is someone else.

Elicio, moved by the tragic story, invites Lisandro to enter his cabin to stay. The next day, the three shepherds meet Galatea who is going to the river. Then, on the way to the river, Galatea will meet another shepherdess who comes crying: she is Teolinda. At this moment, we know the story of this other character: Teolinda is a shepherdess in love with Eugenio. Lidia, a friend of hers, tells her that Eugenio has left with another woman. Teolinda will fall in love with another shepherd, Artidoro.

Teolinda's story is cut short because Galatea's father appears. The shepherdess invites him to stay at her house.

Summary of the second book of La Galatea

The second book of The galatea she continues with the story of Teolinda, since she had been cut off. The shepherdess, in love with ArtidoroOne day he meets Leonarda, his sister, a woman who bears a striking resemblance to Teolinda. Artidoro confuses her one morning and declares himself to her; Leonarda gets angry at his indiscretion and Artidoro doesn't understand that reaction. Now, Teolinda has not seen her lover for 9 days and fears that he is angry or upset by her sister's reaction.

Elicio and Erastro appear on the scene, both in love with Galatea. They sing love songs. They all go together walking through the countryside until they reach a hermitage where a man is playing the harp: the Silerio. And so he tells us her story. Silerio is a pastor who has Timbrio as a friend, a man who participated in the war and was sentenced to death. Silerio saved his friend, who managed to escape; However, Silerio was not so lucky and was imprisoned and sentenced to death.

Timbrio, his friend, when he heard the story came to save Silerio. One night a fire breaks out in the prison and all the locked up can escape, including Silerio, who decides to go to Barcelona and Naples; It is in this Italian city that he meets his friend again. Here he will learn about the love story that his friend feels for Nísida, an unrequited love story. Silerio decides to help his friend by becoming friends with Nísida. In the end, Silerio will begin to feel things for this woman.

The story is cut short because shepherds appear on the scene who interrupt the plot.

Summary of the third Book of the Galatea

We continue this summary of La Galatea to talk about the third book. The story of Silerio and his friend Timbrio continues. Now we are in Naples again and, here, Nísida's parents tell them that both her daughter and her sister (Blanca, Nísida's twin sister) they have disappeared.

On the scene appears Mireno, a pastor who had been Silveria's boyfriend, but who had not been able to marry due to opposition from his families. Now Silveria is getting married and Mireno delivers a letter to Silveria telling you that he is still in love with her. That same night, Daranio and Silveria get married and a great banquet takes place.

We continue to know the summary of The galatea to focus on the plot that goes from book 4 to 6.

Summary of the fourth book

Teolinda leaves Galatea's house because she wants to continue with the search for Artidoro. Walking in the countryside, Rosaura appears, a maid who appears accompanied by Leonarda and Grisaldo, two wealthy and wealthy characters. So we know the history of these new characters.

Grisaldo must marry a Leonarda, a woman he does not love, because he really is in love with Rosaura. Her parents force him to marry another woman and Rosaura is very sad and even threatens to take her life. When Leonarda takes off her veil, Teolinda recognizes the woman: she is her sister.

Galatea wants to know the story of Rosaura and Grisaldo and the maid tells that she started working at Grisaldo's house and fell in love with him. Since then, they have a secret relationship. Rosaura's father wants to marry her to Artandro, a knight from Aragon, but Rosaura only wants Grisaldo. They are in the land of Galatea because the two lovers have decided to run away and promise yourself eternal love.

There is a debate between Lenio and Tirsi in which they talk about the lack of love and the defense of love. Then, Elicio hears the name of Nísida and she understands that she may be the same woman Silerio was talking about. She tells him that Silerio is in the hermitage and, next to her, there is also her sister Blanca hers. Walking towards the hermitage, they meet Maurisa, a shepherdess.

Fifth book summary

When they arrive at the hermitage where Silerio is, he faints from the impression of seeing Nísida, since he believed that she was dead. At this moment, Timbrio tells him that Blanca is in love with him. Elicio and Erastro are in the mountains crying and crying because of the deep and strong love they feel for Galatea. And it is that Galatea's father told the two lovers that Galatea was going to marry another manTherefore, they are sad and sorry on top of the mountain. Elicio will try to make Galatea ignore the marriage imposed by her father: if she does not love that man, Elicio will publicly oppose the marriage.

In this book, Timbrio. Nísida, Blanca and Silerio announce that they are going to get married. A happy ending for one of these La Galatea side stories that help nurture the plot. Everyone is very happy about this beautiful ending to the story and, therefore, they sing and dance and celebrate the future.

They find out that Rosaura has been kidnapped and he lies in Aragon. Grisaldo finds out what happened and decides to go save his lover.

Sixth book of La Galatea

We finish this summary of La Galatea to talk about the last book of the novel. Shepherds flock to the valley, an idyllic, beautiful valley, full of nature, rivers and flowers. Here they sing an elegy to Meliso and pay homage to him with a crown of cypress trees. It is in this moment of La Galatea when it appears the "Song of Calliope", a very popular and relevant song in the history of literature where mythological elements and a strong presence of classical literature appear. The song is sung by the nymph Calliope, a nymph who appears in the grave of Meliso.

Later, Teolinda tells that her sister went to find Artidoro and that she pretended to be Teolinda. Now her sister and her lover are married. Galatea does not want to marry the man her father has imposed and, therefore, she writes a letter to Elicio to ask for his help. Elicio will end up convincing the father to avoid that wedding and safeguard her love.