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Don Quixote
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Don Quixote (1605) (edit title/settings)

by Miguel de Cervantes (Author) (edit contributors)

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Widely regarded as one of the funniest and most tragic books ever written, Don Quixote, errant knight and sane madman, with the company of his faithful squire and wise fool, Sancho Panza, together roam the world and haunt readers' imaginations as they have for nearly four hundred years..

Summary edit see section history

The Spanish masterpiece. Widely regarded as the world's first modern novel, and one of the funniest and most tragic books ever written, Don Quixote chronicles the famous picaresque adventures of the noble knight-errant Don Quixote of La Mancha and his faithful squire, Sancho Panza, as they... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

The Spanish masterpiece. Widely regarded as the world's first modern novel, and one of the funniest and most tragic books ever written, Don Quixote chronicles the famous picaresque adventures of the noble knight-errant Don Quixote of La Mancha and his faithful squire, Sancho Panza, as they travel through sixteenth-century Spain.

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Quotes edit see section history

  • “Freedom, Sancho, is one of the most precious gifts heaven gave to men; the treasures under the earth and beneath the sea cannot compare to it; for freedom, as well as for honor, one can and should risk one's life, while captivity, on the other hand, is the greatest evil that can befall men.”
    Don Quixote
  • “...whenever he was at leisure (which was mostly all the year round) gave himself up to reading books of chivalry with such ardor...that he sold many an acre of tillageland to buy books....”
  • “Our greatest foes, and whom we must chiefly combat, are within.”

First Sentence edit see section history

In a village in La Mancha, the name of which I cannot quite recall, there lived not long ago one of those country gentlemen or hidalgos who keep a lance in a rack, an ancient leather shield, a scrawny hack and a greyhound for coursing.

Table of Contents edit see section history

<Signet Classic edition>

Introduction by Walter Starkie

PART I

Dedication

Prologue

Prefartory Verses

Chapters
I. Which tells of the quality and manner of life of the famous gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha
II. Which deals with our imaginative hero's first sally from his home
III. Which relates the pleasant method by which Don Quixote had himself dubbed knight
IV. What happened to our knight when he sallied from the inn
V. In which is continued the account of our knight's mishap
VI. Of the pleasant and mighty inquisition held by the curate and the barber on the library of our imaginative knight Don Quixote.
VII. Of the second sally of our good knight Don Quixote of La mancha
VIII. Of the valiant Don Quixote's success in the terrifying and never-before-imagined adventure of the windmills, with other events worthy of happy remembrance
IX. In which is decided and ended the stupendous battle between the gallant Biscayan and the valiant Manchegan
X. Of the pleasant conversation between Don Quixote and his squire Sancho Panza
XI. Of what happened to Don Quixote with certain goatherds
XII. The story of a young goatherd told those that were with Don Quixote
XIII. In which is concluded the story of the shepherdess Marcella, with other matters
XIV. Containing the despairing verses of the dead shepherd, with other unexpected happenings
XV. In which is related the unfortunate adventure that overtook Don Quixote on his encounter with some heartless Yanguesans
XVI. Of what befell our imaginative gentleman in the inn he supposed to be a castle
XVII. In which are continued the countless troubles that befell Don Quixote and his squire in the inn that, to his sorrow, the former took for a castle
XIII. In which an account is given of the conversation that took place between Sancho Panza and his master, Don Quixote, with other adventures worth recording
XIX. Of the sensible conversation between Sancho Panza and his master, and of the adventure with a corpse, with other famous happenings
XX. Of the adventure, never before seen or heard of, achieved by the valorous Don Quixote of La Mancha, with less peril than any ever achieved by an famous knight in all the world
XXI. The noble adventure and rich prize of Mambrino's helmet, and other things that befell our invincible knight
XXII. Of the liberty Don Quixote gave to a number of unfortunates who were beng borne, much against their will, where they had no wish to go
XXIII. Of what hapened to the famous Don Quixote in the Sierra Morena, one of the rarest adventures in this truthful history
XXIV. The adventure in the Sierra Morena continued
XXV. Of the strange things that happened to the valiant knight of La Mancha in the Sierra Morena, and of the penance he performed there
XXVI. A continuation of the subtle pranks played by Don Quixote, the lover, in the Sierra Morena
XXVII. Of how the curate and the barber carried out their plan, with other things worthy of mention in this great history
XXVIII. Which deals with the quaint and agreeable adventure that befell the curate and the barber in the Sierra Morena
XXIX. Which deals with the plesant device that was adopted to rescue our love-sick knight from the severe penance he imposed upon himself
XXX. Of Dorotea's inventiveness, with other pleasing and entertaining matters
XXXI. Of the delightful conversation between Don Quixote and his squire, and other happenings
XXXII. Of what happened to Don Quixote and all his company at the inn
XXXIII. In which "The Tale of Ill-Advised Curiosity" is told
XXXIV. In which "The Tale of Ill-Advised Curiosity" is continued
XXXV. Of the fierce and monstrous battle that Don Quixote fought with certain skins of red wine, and with the conclusion of "The Tale of Ill-Advised Curiosity"
XXXVI. Of other strange events tha happened at the inn.
XXXVII. In which is continued the history of the famous Princess Micomicona, with other pleasant adventures
XXXVIII. Of Don Quixote's curious discourse on arms and letters
XXXIX. In which the captive tells the story of his life and adventures
XL. In which the captive's story is continued
XLI. In which the captive still continues his adventures
XLII. Which deals with further incidents at the inn and with many other things worthy of being known
XLIII. In which the pleasant story of the muleteer is told, with other strange happenings at the inn
XLIV. In which the unprecedented adventures at the inn are continued
XLV. In which the controversy of Mambrino's helmet and the packsaddle is decided, with other happenings, all quite true
XLVI. Of the notable adventure of the officers of the Holy Brotherhood and the great ferocity of our good knight Don Quixote
XLVII. Of the strange manner in which Don Quixote of La Mancha was enchanted, with other notable incidents
XLVIII. In which the canon persues the subject of books of chivalry, with other matters worthy of his intelligence
XLIX. Which deals with the shrewd conversation between Sancho Panza and his master, Don Quixote
L. Of the learned arguments between Don Quixote and the canon, with other incidents
LI. What the goatherd related to those who were carrying Don Quixote
LII. Of The quarrel tha Don Quixote had with the goatherd, with the rare adventure of the disciplinants, which he successfully achieved with the sweat of his brow

PART II

Approbation

Dedication

Prologue

I. What passed between the curate, the barber, and Don Quixote regarding the knight's infirmity
II. Which deals with the notable quarrel between Sancho Panza and Don Quixote's niece and housekeeper, with other amusing incidents
III. Of the ridiculous conversation that passed between Don Quixote, Sancho Panza, and the bachelor Sanson Carrasco
IV. In which Sancho Panza satisfies the doubts and questions of the bachelor Sanson Carrasco, with other matters worthy of being known and related
V. Of the shrewd and hunorous conversation between Sancho Panza and his wife, Teresa Panza, and other matters worthy of happy record
VI.Of what happened to don Quixote with his niece and his housekeeper, one of the most important chapters in all this history
VII. Of the discussion between Don Quixote and his squire, with other most notable incidents
VIII. In which we learn what happened to Don Quixote on his way to see his lady, Dulcinea of El toboso
IX. In which is told what therein shall be seen
X. In which is related the device that Sancho adopted to enchant Lady Dulcinea, and other incidents as absurd as they are true
XI. Of the strange adventure that befell the valorous Don Quixote with the cart or wagon of the Parliament of Death
XII. Of the strange adventure that befell the gallant Don Quixote with the brave Knight of the Mirrors
XIII. In which the adventure of the Knight of the Wood is continued, with the wise, novel, and agreeable coversation between the two squires
XIV. In which the adventure of the Knight of the Wood is continued
XV. In which is told who the Knight of the Mirrors and his suire were
XVI. Of what happened when Don Quixote met a wise gentleman of La Mancha
XVII. In which is set forth the highest point that Don Quixote's unheard-of courage ever reached, with the happily terminated adventure of the lions
XVIII. Of what happened to Don Quixote in the castle or house of the Knight of the Green Cloak, with other eccentric matters
XIX. Of the adventure of the enamored shepherd, with other truly pleasant incidents
XX. In which an account is given of the wedding of Camacho the Rich, with the adventure of Basilio the Poor
XXI. The continuation of Camacho's wedding, with other enjoyable adventures
XXII. In which is given an account of the great adventure of the cave of Montesinos, in the heart of La Mancha, which our gallant Don Quixote brought to a happy conclusion
XXIII. Of the wonderful things that the consummate Don Quixote said he had seen in the deep cave of Montesinos, whose impossibility and immensity has caused this adventure to be considered apocryphal
XXIV. In which a thousand trifles are recounted, as nonsensical as they are necessary to the true understanding of this great history
XXV. of the adventureof the brayingman, and the entrtaining meeting with the puppet-showman, with the memorable prediction of the prophetic ape
XXVI. In which is continued the divertin adventure of the puppet-showman, with other truly entertaining incidents
XXVII. In which we are told who Master Pedro and his ape were, with Don Quixote's misfortune in the braying adventure, which did not end as he wished or expected
XXVIII. Of things that Benengeli says the reader will learn if he reads them with attention
XXIX. Of the famous adventure of the enchanted boat
XXX. Of what befell Don Quixote with a fair huntress
XXXI. Which treats of many and great matters
XXXII. Of Don Quixote's reply to his reprimander, with otherincidents, grave and gay
XXXIII. Of the amusing conversation that passed between the duchess, her maids, and Sancho Panza, which deserves to be read and noted
XXXIV. Which tells of the information received for the disenchantment of the peerless Dulcinea of El Toboso, which is one of the famous adventures in this book
XXXV. The continuation of Don Quixote's instructions for the disenchanment of Dulcinea, with other wonderful events
XXXVI. Of the strange and inconceivable adventure of the Doleful Duenna, alias Countess Trifaldi, with a letter that Sancho Panza wrote to his wife, Teresa Panza
XXXVII. In which is continued the famous adventure of the Doleful Duenna
XXXVIII. In which the Doleful Duenna relates her misfortune
XXXIX. In which La Trifaldi continues her stupendous and memorable story
XL. Of matters concerning this adventure and this memorable history
XLI. Of the coming of Clavileno and the conclusion of this protracted adventure
XLII. Of Don Quixote's advice to Sancho Panza before he went to govern his island, with other serious matters
XLIII. Of Don quixote's further avice to Sancho Panza
XLIV. How Sancho Panza was taken to his governorship, and of the strange adventure that befell don Quixote in the castle
XLV. Of how the great Sancho Panza took possession of his island, and the way in which he began to govern
XLVI. Of the terrifying cat-and-bell scare experienced by Don Quixote in the course of his wooing by the enamored Altisidora
XLVII. In which the account of how Sancho Panza behaved in his government is continued
XLVIII. Of Don Quixote's adventure with Dona Rodriguez, the duchess' duenna with other incidents worthy of record and eternal remembrence
XLIX. Of what happened to Sancho Panza on the rounds of his island
L. Which reveals who the enchanters and executioners were that beat the duenna and pinched and scratched Don Quixote, with the adventure of the page who bore the letter to Teresa Panza, Sancho Panza's wife
LI. Of the progress of Sancho Panza's government, with other matters such as they are
LII. In which is recorded the adventure of the second Doleful or Distressed Duenna, otherwise called Dona Rodriguez
LIII. Of the violent end of Sancho Panza's government
LIV. Which deals with matters relating to this history and not to any other
LV. Of what happened to Sancho on the road, and other matters, the best that can be
LVI. Of the prodigious and unparalleled battle that took place between Don Quixote of La mancha and the lackey Tosillos, in the defense of Dona Rodriguez' daughter
LVII. Which tells how Don Quixote took leave of the duke and of his adventure with the witty and wanton Altisidora, the duchess' maid-in-waiting
LVIII. Which tells of how adventures poured on Don Quixote so thick and fast that they gave no room to one another
LIX. In which is recorded the extraordinary event that might pass for an adventure of Don Quixote
LX. What happened to Don Quixote on the way to Barcelona
LXI. Of what happened to Don Quixote upon entering Barcelona, with other matters containing more truth than wisdom
LXII. Which treats of the adventure of the enchanted head, with other childish matters that cannot be omitted.
LXIII. Of the disaster that befall Sancho PAnza on his visit to the galleys, and the strange adventure of the Moorish girl
LXIV. Of the adventure that gave Don Quuuixote more sorrow than any that had ever befallen him
LXV. Which reveals who the Knight of the White Moon was, with the liberation of Don Gregorio and other incidents
LXVI. Which treats of what the reader shall see or the listener hear
LXVII. Of Don quixote's determination to become a shepherd and lead a pastoral life till the year of his pledge had expired, with other truly entertaining incidents
LXVIII. Of the bristly adventure that befell Don Quixote
LXIX. Of the rarest and strangest adventure that befell Don Quixote in the whole course of this history
LXX. Which follows the sixty-ninth and deals with matters indispensable for the clear understanding of this history
LXXI. Of what befell Don Quixote and Sancho, his squire, on the way to their village
LXXII. How Don Quixote and Sancho arrived at their village
LXXIII. Of the omens that Don Quixote met at the entrance to his village, with other incidents that embellish and accredit this great history
LXXIV. Of how Don Quixote fell ill, of the will he made, and of his death

Selected Bibliography

Glossary edit see section history

  • Moors/Moorish: A term used to describe several ancient and modern populations, most notably the Berber people but also common and in this case used to refer to Muslims of Black African and Arab descent.

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

  • Perspective and Narration: Don Quixote, which is composed of three different sections, is a rich exploration of the possibilities of narration. The first of these sections, comprising the chapter covering Don Quixote’s first expedition, functions chiefly as a parody of contemporary romance tales. The second section, comprising the rest of the First Part, is written under the guise of a history, plodding along in historical fashion and breaking up chapters episodically, carefully documenting every day’s events. The third section, which covers the Second Part of the novel, is different since it is written as a more traditional novel, organized by emotional and thematic content and filled with character development. Cervantes alone reports the story in the first section, using a straightforward narrative style. In the second section, Cervantes informs us that he is translating the manuscript of Cide Hamete Benengeli and often interrupts the narration to mention Benengeli and the internal inconsistencies in Benengeli’s manuscript. Here, Cervantes uses Benengeli primarily to reinforce his claim that the story is a true history.In the third section, however, Cervantes enters the novel as a character—as a composite of Benengeli and Cervantes the author. The characters themselves, aware of the books that have been written about them, try to alter the content of subsequent editions. This complicated and self-referential narrative structure leaves us somewhat disoriented, unable to tell which plotlines are internal to the story and which are factual. This disorientation engrosses us directly in the story and emphasizes the question of sanity that arises throughout the novel. If someone as mad as Don Quixote can write his own story, we wonder what would prevent us from doing the same. Cervantes gives us many reasons to doubt him in the second section. In the third section, however, when we are aware of another allegedly false version of the novel and a second Don Quixote, we lose all our footing and have no choice but to abandon ourselves to the story and trust Cervantes. However, having already given us reasons to distrust him, Cervantes forces us to question fundamental principles of narration, just as Quixote forces his contemporaries to question their lifestyles and principles. In this way, the form of the novel mirrors its function, creating a universe in which Cervantes entertains and instructs us, manipulating our preconceptions to force us to examine them more closely.
  • Incompatible Systems of Morality: Don Quixote tries to be a flesh-and-blood example of a knight-errant in an attempt to force his contemporaries to face their own failure to maintain the old system of morality, the chivalric code. This conflict between the old and the new reaches an absolute impasse: no one understands Don Quixote, and he understands no one. Only the simple-minded Sancho, with both self-motivated desires and a basic understanding of morality, can mediate between Don Quixote and the rest of the world. Sancho often subscribes to the morals of his day but then surprises us by demonstrating a belief in the anachronistic morals of chivalry as well.In the First Part of the novel, we see the impasse between Don Quixote and those around him. Don Quixote cannot, for instance, identify with the priest’s rational perspective and objectives, and Don Quixote’s belief in enchantment appears ridiculous to the priest. Toward the end of the Second Part, however, Cervantes compromises between these two seemingly incompatible systems of morality, allowing Don Quixote’s imaginary world and the commonplace world of the Duke and the Duchess to infiltrate each other. As the two worlds begin to mix, we start to see the advantages and disadvantages of each. Sancho ultimately prevails, subscribing to his timeless aphorisms and ascetic discipline on the one hand and using his rational abilities to adapt to the present on the other.
  • The Distinction between Class and Worth: Distinguishing between a person’s class and a person’s worth was a fairly radical idea in Cervantes’s time. In Don Quixote, Cervantes attacks the conventional notion that aristocrats are automatically respectable and noble. The contrast between the Duke and Duchess’s thoughtless malice and Sancho’s anxiety-ridden compassion highlights this problem of class. Despite his low social status, the peasant Sancho is wise and thoughtful. Likewise, the lowly goatherds and shepherds often appear as philosophers. In contrast, the cosmopolitan or aristocratic characters like the Duke and Duchess are often frivolous and unkind. Cervantes’s emphasis on these disparities between class and worth is a primary reason that Don Quixote was such a revolutionary work in its time.
  • Honor: Some characters in Don Quixote show a deep concern for their personal honor and some do not. Cervantes implies that either option can lead to good or disastrous results. Anselmo, for example, is so overly protective of his wife’s honor that he distrusts her fidelity, which ultimately results in her adultery and his death. Likewise, Don Quixote’s obsession with his honor leads him to do battle with parties who never mean him offense or harm. On the other hand, Dorothea’s concern for her personal honor leads her to pursue Ferdinand, with happy results for both of them. In these examples, we see that characters who are primarily concerned with socially prescribed codes of honor, such as Anselmo and Don Quixote, meet with difficulty, while those who set out merely to protect their own personal honor, such as Dorothea, meet with success.Other characters, especially those who exploit Don Quixote’s madness for their own entertainment, seem to care very little about their personal honor. The Duke and Duchess show that one’s true personal honor has nothing to do with the honor typically associated with one’s social position. Fascination with such public conceptions of honor can be taken to an extreme, dominating one’s life and leading to ruin. Sancho initially exhibits such a fascination, confusing honor with social status, but he eventually comes to the realization that excessive ambition only creates trouble. In this sense, Cervantes implies that personal honor can be a powerful and positive motivating force while socially prescribed notions of honor, which are often hollow and false, can be destructive if adhered to obsessively.
  • Romance: Though many people in Don Quixote’s world seem to have given up on romantic love, Don Quixote and a few other characters hold dear this ideal. Don Louis’s love for Clara, Camacho’s wedding, and the tale of the captive and Zoraida, for instance, are all situations in which romantic love rises above all else. Even in the case of Sancho and Teresa, romantic love prevails as a significant part of matrimonial commitment, which we see in Teresa’s desire to honor her husband at court. Ironically, Don Quixote’s own devotion to Dulcinea mocks romantic love, pushing it to the extreme as he idolizes a woman he has never even seen.
  • Literature: Don Quixote contains several discussions about the relative merits of different types of literature, including fiction and historical literature. Most of the characters, including the priest and the canon of Toledo, ultimately maintain that literature should tell the truth. Several even propose that the government should practice censorship to prevent the evil falsehoods of certain books from corrupting innocent minds like Don Quixote’s. However, we see that even the true histories in the novel end up disclosing falsehoods. Cervantes declares that Don Quixote itself is not fiction but a translation of a historical account. The fact that we know that this claim of Cervantes’s is false—since the work is fictional—makes Cervantes’s symbolism clear: no matter how truthful a writer’s intentions may be, he or she can never tell the whole truth. Despite these inherent flaws, however, literature remains a powerful force in the novel, guiding the lives of many characters, especially Don Quixote. Notions of authorship and storytelling preoccupy the characters throughout the novel, since many of them consider the idea of writing their own histories as their own narrators.
  • Books and Manuscripts: The books and manuscripts that appear everywhere in Don Quixote symbolize the importance and influence of fiction and literature in everyday life. The books instruct and inform the ignorant and provide an imaginative outlet for characters with otherwise dull lives.
  • Horses: Horses symbolize movement and status in the novel and often denote a character’s worth or class. The pilgrims outside Barcelona, for instance, walk to the city. The noblemen ride in carriages, and the robbers and Don Quixote ride on horseback. In Don Quixote’s mind, at least, the appearance of horses on the horizon symbolizes the coming of a new adventure. Indeed, Rocinante and Dapple play an important role in the journeys of Don Quixote and Sancho; they are not only means of transport and symbols of status but also companions.
  • Inns: The inns that appear throughout the novel are meeting places for people of all classes. They are the only locations in the novel where ordinarily segregated individuals speak and exchange stories. Inns symbolize rest and food but also corruption and greed, since many innkeepers in the novel are devious. Sancho often longs to stay at an inn rather than follow Don Quixote’s chivalric desire to sleep under the stars. These opposing preferences show Sancho’s connection with reality and society and his instinctive desire for comfort, in contrast to Don Quixote’s alienation from society and its norms. Even when he does stay at inns, Don Quixote is noticeably alienated from the major events that take place there, such as the reunification of the four lovers in the First Part.

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 2 of 113 in Book Smart Reading List. (community list)
This book is in The Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge. (community list)
This book is in Books That Changed Man's Thinking (Heron). (publisher edition list)
This is book 1 of 91 in The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Novels of All Time, 2004. (authoritative list)
This is book 992 of 1286 in 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (authoritative list)
This book is in Big Fat Books. (community list)
This book is in 100 Fantabulous Book Challenge. (community list)
This is book 35 of 95 in The Art of Manliness' Essential Man’s Library. (authoritative list)
This is book 38 of 96 in Wikipedia's 100 most influential books ever written. (authoritative list)
This book is in Guardian 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read. (authoritative list)

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Miguel de Cervantes (Author)

Other Contributors:

  1. Salvador Dalí (Illustrator)
  2. Peter Anthony Motteux (Translator)
  3. Antonio G. Solalinde
  4. Gregorio Prieto
  5. Federico de Oni?s
  6. Edith Grossman (Translator)
  7. Martín de Riquer (Editor)
  8. Walter Starkie (Translator) - translator and intro - Signet Classic edition 1964
  9. Bartolomeo Gamba (Translator)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: Spanish
Publisher: Juan de la Cuesta
Country: Spain
Publication Date: 1605
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 1050

Classification edit see section history

  • Copyright Status: Public Domain
  • Library of Congress: PQ6329 .A2
  • Dewey: 863.3

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

More Books Like This edit see section history

   
  • Moby-Dick
  • The Arabian Nights
  • Crime and Punishment

Books with Additional Background Information edit see section history

   
  • Lectures on Don Quixote
  • Cervantes' Don Quixote

Books Influenced by This Book edit see section history

   
  • The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman
  • Ficciones
  • A Confederacy of Dunces

Books That Cite This Book edit see section history

   
  • Oddly Normal

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