„Orbii care cântă cântece cu poveşti şi minuni” sau despre intertextualitate la Cervantes şi Homer

Abstract

In this article I deal with some small fragments from the renowned novel Don Quixote by the Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes. I argue that significant connections can be established with the universe of the Homeric epics and, subsidiarily, with a passage from the writings of the French philosopher Blaise Pascal. These connections represent, by definition, the level of intertextuality, particularly challenging the imagination of those who approach and let themselves be conquered by the universe of the most famous errant knight. Intertextuality is a central concept in the theory of literature, without being limited to this – it is applicable to various other artistic fields: cinematography, music, architecture, sculpture, painting, etc. This concept has been proposed and developed during the second half of the 20th century, through the founding contributions of specialists and thinkers such as Julia Kristeva (1969, 1974), Gérard Genette (1982), or Michael Riffaterre (1971, 1979).