Don Quixote
In Don Quixote, Cervantes portrays a very amusing character. He is amusing on account of his social and physical characteristics being exactly the opposite of what he tries to be, namely, a knight-errant. However, beneath this comedy there is something deeper being portrayed. There is the story of a man who believes in justice, who believes in a Golden Age, and who believes that something must be done to keep these virtues alive. Therefore, he, unlike the other characters in the story, acts on his beliefs. He does this by becoming a knight-errant, and going off in search of adventures in order to right the wrongs of the world. Unfortunately, for Don Quixote, the people of the real world see him as having gone mad. Don Quixote, therefore, has taken up his cross, in a sense, because he is defending his beliefs against hardship. However, his mission fails. At first, he seems to be convinced of his knighthood and his beliefs in the existence of these virtues. He is confident in himself; he even creates adventures where they do not exist. But then he begins to lose faith in his beliefs. He begins seeing inns as inns rather than castles (78). This loss of faith happens quickly after his dream at the cave of Montesinos. Then, just befor
Although Don Quixote seems mad, most of the people agree with the majority of what he has to say. This is because they believe that the message of justice and knight-errantry is a good one (161). However, they do not act on their beliefs, whereas Don Quixote does. They have no hope and no determination and accept living in a corrupt world filled with lies. In fact, they declare Don Quixote as being mad because he try to bring about this better world and actually follows what he believes in. When he begins he does not listen to what the common people say, and he holds firm to his beliefs. He only tells them that they are wrong and that he is right (21). He is convinced that he is a knight, and he believes that the world is the same as the one that he read about in his books. He thinks that inns are castles, that common men are lords, that wenches are princesses, and holds this ideal high in his mind. He believes the innkeeper when he tells Don Quixote that he was once a knight-errant (24). He believes the countryman when he says that he will repay the boy (30). Don Quixote believes his neighbors when they tell him that his books were taken by enchanters (39). There are many more examples where Don Quixote is quick to believe whatever he hears as long as it goes along with his belief in this ideal world. He has faith in the people he encounters and in the possibility that a Golden Age can exist through his adventuring and correcting of wrongs. e his death, he condemns knight-errantry and all that he ha
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Approximate Word count = 1019
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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