#and steinberg took one look at that and said here's an easter egg for all you early modern literature fanatics out there

[theartthatleavesthemark]

this post probably exists out there somewhere but. you know the book la galatea? the one Flint leaves for Miranda in 2x3? uhh well it was written by Cervantes the man most well known for creating the patron saint of lost causes (don quixote) but that isnt even the most insane part this book was a collection of pastoral poems loosely wedged into a narrative now, what were these poems about you may ask? well, pastoral stories for those of you who do not know are about love specifically they are about overpowering love making people do insane things and many of these stories in this book end either in tragedy or very ambiguously. essentially the love was there but it didnt change the ending. now the frame these tales are set in? well, THAT is the story of two gentleman, one of noble birth named Elicio and one of low birth who is nonetheless quite well-spoken named Erastro (sound familiar?) who are both in love with the same woman (the titular galatea). they agree that their shared love will never interfere with their friendship. now if you, like me, are throwing objects at the walls at this point, wait for the best part: la galatea is UNFINISHED. Cervantes wrote only part 1 and IN DON QUIXOTE there is a scene in which part one is BURNED and a character comments that it will never be any good without a second half. which he never wrote.

#cervantes was a racist bastard who wrote in the most stifling prose known to man but he knew the power of stories and the power of belief #and steinberg took one look at that and said here's an easter egg for all you early modern literature fanatics out there #its about love not being enough! its about the idealization of one individual (galatea is miranda is thomas is silver is flint is madi) #its about the story can't end! its about the story is a lost cause and the story lives on #mutilated #in another story which becomes canon! #its about i will love you whether you want me to or not and even if it kills me and beyond the capacity of the narrative to encompass #black sails #la galatea