Shakespeare, Cervantes and Inca de la Vega were equally influential on their cultures. The fact their works are still appreciated today proves that they were the best of the best in their own ways.
William Shakespeare helped standardize the English language through his plays. His tragedies, such as Romeo and Juliet, are adapted in many ways in the modern world. Movies and books have been based from his histories, such as Julius Caesar. His comedies, such as Midsummer Nights Dream, show the fantasy in his everyday thoughts. Perhaps my favorite play by Shakespeare is Macbeth. It is a tragedy about a power-obsessed man who ends up dead because of his greed. It is fascinating to me that Macbeth shows the English views of the occult.
Miguel de Cervantes is another famous author who lived in the time of Shakespeare. He is famous because of his contributions to the Spanish language. His book, Don Quixote, is a compilation of the Spanish language he knew. I find it intriguing that Miguel de Cervantes had such an impact on his original language just because of Don Quixote. The book’s popularity during the time may have been the reason his use of the Spanish language was standardized.
Inca de la Vega did not help standardize his language, like Shakespeare or Cervantes, but he did give Old World people insight in the culture of the Incas. His histories are a huge help for scholars today studying the Incas and other Native American tribes of North America . I think Inca de la Vega’s point of view of the Inca and Spanish cultures gave his writing an element of objectivity that other writers of his day could not have because of their relatively stable upbringings. I think he could see clearly the faults and virtues of both of his cultures because of his Inca mother and Spanish father. This inborn ability is a sign that he was a great writer.
