Don Quixote and His Fascination with Chivalric Stories
The novel Don Quixote is both comic and tragic. This particular novel opens by briefly describing Don Quixote and his fascination with chivalric stories. With his "wits gone," Don Quixote decides to become a knight and travel the countryside righting wrongs and rescuing damsels in distress. He outfits himself in some old armor and professes his love and service to Aldonsa Lorenzo whom he refers to as Dulcinea Del Toboso. After a long, hot ride on his horse Rocinante, he comes upon an inn which he thinks is a castle and the innkeeper, whom he believes to be the king. That evening, Don talks the innkeeper into knighting him and the innkeeper agrees to do so, since it amuses him. He tells Don that he must return to his village for money, clean shirts, and other provisions. Don agrees, but before he is knighted he beats up two carriers who were attempting to water their mules at the trough were Don has hidden his armor. This caused such a commotion at the inn that the innkeeper quickly smacks Don on the neck instead of knighting him properly, but he is knighted and sent back to his village. On the way back, he encounters two adventures: a farmer whipping his servant, and the other six merchants from Toledo who refuses to agre
Don Quixote is one of the best novels that I have read in a long time. I think that all of us are familiar with Don Quixote attacking the windmills, but few of us have actually read the entire story. For some reason, I had no idea of how humorous this story actually was until I read it all the way through. I laughed out loud at situations that Don Quixote managed to get himself into. I particularly enjoyed the part where his well-meaning family sealed off his reading room. Poor Don Quixote was so upset searching in vain for his beloved books. Sancho Panza was always good for a laugh, especially when he would anger the so-called knight-errant and get whacked in the head. The story was easy to visualize, as I can just picture Don Quixote on Rocinante and Sancho following close behind on his mule. I felt that it was a great literary masterpiece. It makes me wonder how Don Quixote lost his wits and decided to become a knight in the first place. Up until that point he seemed to lead a normal life of existence with no signs of craziness. I cannot help but feel sorry for Don Quixote. Throughout the story I was hoping he would accomplish his dreams of a chivalric lifestyle. I had to admire his convictions, however, while all around him people were calling him crazy. I guess it is possible that he could have had dementia, because back then people were not diagnosed in the same way that they are today. Regardless of that, he was still a cool guy to me and the story was very entertaining. Later, Sancho and Don are resting by a brook and nearby is a herd of Galacian ponies. Rocinante tries to mate with them and the Yanguesans' see their horses being attacked and beat the horse to make him stop. The knight and his squire see this and immediately attack. They are beaten badly and they limp off to where they finally come across an Inn (castle). When daybreak comes again, Don makes up some magic balsam. Taking a dose, he vomits, falls asleep, and wakes up feeling better. Sancho takes a larger dose and almost dies. They finally leave to continue their journey and Don comes across a herd of sheep which he thinks are warring armies. He charges the sheep, killing seven of them before he is stoned and hurt badly by the shepherds. Again Friston is blamed for turning the army into sheep. That night a group of robed figures ap
Some common words found in the essay are:
Don Quixote, Sancho Don, Del Toboso, Sancho Panza, Cardenio Fernando, don quixote, Quixote Throughout, Giants Sancho, Don Quixote's, Don Fernando, Rocinante Sancho, sancho panza, don fernando, cardenio finishes story, magic balsam, actually read, leaving don, unrequited love, niece housekeeper, curate barber, don attacks, leaving don quixote,
Approximate Word count = 1581
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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