Don Quixote, an Extraordinary Man

Paper Summary:

In this paper the author looks at the character in Miguel De Cervantes' famous book "Don Quixote". He examines how the central character Don Quixote becomes immersed in a fantasy world in order to escape his ordinary and mundane existence as that of an impoverished and ordinary upper class gentleman. The author portrays how Don Quixote becomes a defender of virtue and righter of wrongs as he trades reality for adventure in the world of his imagination and is no longer an aging gentleman living a quiet life. In conclusion, the author points out that Don Quixote was stripped of his delusions by force and therefore lost the will to live but had he lived in modern times the case may have been different. The author surmises that in modern times Don Quixote could have lived as he chose, a knight in an errant world of adventure and would have been very content.

From the Paper:

"The Knight of the Woods presents himself as a kindred spirit, at once endearing himself in the heart of the great Don. They discuss their separate lady loves and compare experiences. The Knight of the Woods is really the bachelor Samson Carrasco, determined to cure Quixote of his fantasies. Challenging Don to a fight in order to knock sense into him, Carrasco is defeated and knocked from his horse. Don Quixote removes his opponent's helmet and recognizes his face. Rather than accept that he is who is appears to be, Don determines him to be disguised by a wizard or enchanter and marvels at their cunning. He comments on the lengths they will go to in order to defeat one as great as himself. His puffed up ego is again visible. The man has an inflated sense of self worth that is typical in people with delusions of grandeur. The world revolves around them and their ideas. The defeated knight retreats and Don and Sancho resume their journey in victory. Don's opinion that the Knight of the Woods was not really his friend the bachelor Sanson Carrasco dressed as a knight errant is based on the assumption that he can not understand why his friend would do so."

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• Analytical Essay # 5433 : "An Analysis of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra -'Don Quixote'"

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