f rom Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

1. from Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes 1. Cervantes enlisted in the army, was wounded, and was left with a crippled left hand. He was later captured by pirates and held as a slave for five years. He was later jailed for failing to pay his debts, and while he was in jail he came up with the idea for Don Quixote. 2. It was first published in 1605. Don Quixote was viewed as a parody and the satirized figure is to be seen as a tragic hero.

2. 3. The hero in this story is an aging landowner who read nothing but romantic tales of chivalry. He teeters on the edge of insanity and becomes convinced that he is a knight. 4. The main theme of the work is the struggle of the idealist in a modernistic world. There is an interplay of fantasy and reality.

3. Chapter 1 1. Quixote is seen as an unlikely hero-he has a skinny nag, he eats scraps of meat, he is nearly 50, he is emaciated and gaunt, he lives with his niece, a housekeeper, and a young lad. 2. In the first paragraph Don Quixote is introduced as a “gentleman,” but he is not a wealthy man. 3. His infatuation with reading books about chivalry makes him sell his tillable land in order to buy more books. He is foolish and impractical.

4. 4. The narrator reveals that the romances that Quixote enjoys were often unrealistic. 5. The barber and the village priest discuss books about the adventures of knights. They even join him for some of his adventures, all the while trying to trick him into returning home. 6. His constant reading about knights “dries up” Don Quixote’s brain and makes him lose his mind.

5. 7. Don Quixote probably loved these stories because of their adventure, romance, and heroic quests. He may have lacked such things in his life. 8. His imitation of characters in the books is similar to a person’s imitation of movie or TV characters. 9. Don Quixote can’t tell the differences between the stories he reads and real life. 10. He then decides to become a knight and travel around the world in search of adventure.

6. 11. Some of the humor in the story is evident when Quixote spends a week testing his helmet that is made from cardboard. He later improves it by adding strips of iron to it but fails to test it. 12. He also renames his horse Rocinante, meaning “the first and foremost of all the hacks.” 13. Don Quixote places such importance on his own made up name because he believes that if he imitates his heroes he will become a great knight himself.

7. 14. He chose the last part of his name because he came from the area of Spain known as La Mancha. 15. Don Quixote needs a lady to serve because if he defeats a giant in battle, he wants to send the giant to serve the lady. 16. Quixote’s approach to love is a parody. He was apparently interested in the girl but she never knew or suspected it. He is a passive person who does not take action to fulfill his wishes and desires.

8. 17. He renames the farm girl because Don Quixoteimagines her as a beautiful woman, worthy of a knight. 18. Quixote spends a great deal of time and energyrenaming himself, his ladylove, and his horse. Cervantes is mocking people’s concern for form over substance.

9. from Chapter 7 1. Don Quixote’s books are burned by the housekeeper. His niece tries to explain to him that an enchanter came at night, making everything disappear. 2. Don Quixote believes that his books and study have been destroyed by the magician Freston. Freston is Don Quixote’s great enemy.

10. 3. Don Quixote now gets a “squire” (Sancho Panza) who reveals his selfish motives for joining Don Quixote. Sancho Panza is promised that he may be given an island to govern. 4. Sancho insists on taking his ass because he does not want to walk. This is such an ordinary form of transportation that Don Quixote will take the horse from the first knight who is not polite to Don Quixote and give that horse to Sancho Panza.

11. from Chapter 8 1. Don Quixote compares the “giants” to Briareus, a giant in Greek mythology. He demonstrates his knowledge of literature and mythology. He comes across a field full of windmills. 2. Don Quixote sees the windmills as his fierce enemies that he must battle. Quixote is a romantic idealist. Sancho Panza is a practical realist; he sees the windmills for what they are.

12. 3. When Quixote attacks the first windmill, the wings of the windmill break his lance while knocking down Don Quixote and his horse. 4. Sancho is a foil to Don Quixote. Sancho is down-to-earth, loyal only to his needs, and totally unconcerned with abstract principles. Don Quixote is ascetic, imaginative, and romantic.

13. 5. At times Don Quixote can plainly recognize reality, but he still insists on theories of magic to explain any mistakes he has made. 6. His mind is so thoroughly filled with stories that he can’t recognize his own failings and mistakes.