Adventures of Don Quixote
Black Monks
When Don Quixote and Sancho Panza arrived in Puerto Lápice, they encountered two monks and a woman traveling behind them. Don Quixote, convinced that the monks had kidnapped the woman, decided to attack them. Sancho pointed out that they were merely friars, but Don Quixote ignored him and charged. The monks fled, and unfortunately, one of them fell from his horse. Sancho kindly attempted to help the fallen monk, but two boys lashed out at him, knocking him unconscious. Meanwhile, Don Quixote tried to pay his respects to the lady, but her squire intervened, injuring Don Quixote’s shoulder.
The Galley
While journeying through a field, Don Quixote and Sancho came across a group of convicts being escorted by armed commissioners. Seeing the prisoners in chains, Don Quixote became interested in their plight. Sancho tried to dissuade him, but Don Quixote insisted on knowing why they were condemned. One by one, the convicts explained their sentences to work in the king’s galleys. Believing their punishments unjust, Don Quixote decided to free them. After a skirmish between the convicts, Don Quixote, and the commissioners, Don Quixote instructed the freed convicts to visit his beloved Dulcinea del Toboso and inform her of his valiant deed. However, the convicts refused and instead stoned and robbed Don Quixote and Sancho, leaving them nearly naked in the open field.
Advice for Sancho
Don Quixote took a moment to advise Sancho on how to behave as governor of an island. He counseled Sancho to befriend God, never be ashamed of his lineage, and to treat his relatives with respect should they visit. He also advised him to choose wisely if he encountered widowed women, as they could sometimes be helpful in governing. Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of treating the rich and poor equally, but paying particular attention to the tears of the poor and those who have nothing in this world.
The Theme of Madness
Don Quixote is the story of a man driven mad by his obsession with chivalric romances. In his first outing, he experiences a split personality, which doesn’t reoccur. During his second outing, Don Quixote fully inhabits his delusional world. By the third outing, Don Quixote is no longer deceiving himself; it is others who manipulate and mock him. The knight’s madness drives the narrative, allowing him to externalize his fantasies and act upon them. It also prompts other characters to emerge from their mundane existences and become more human, creating a continuous comedy around and because of the hero.
The Reign of Philip II
Philip II inherited a vast and powerful empire from his father, along with the ideal of a unified kingdom through the Catholic religion. Religion was central to Philip’s rule, and he utilized the Inquisition to defend Christianity and combat the spread of Reformation ideas. His reign was marked by numerous conflicts, including struggles against Protestantism, clashes with Portugal and the Turkish Empire, and the defeat of the Spanish Armada by the English. Economic weakness and the infiltration of Reformation ideas further complicated his rule, influencing the literature of the time.
The Faltering Transition: Philip III
Philip III’s reign was plagued by devastating plagues, crop failures, famine, and a decline in silver and gold from the New World. Two of his decisions proved detrimental: appointing Francisco Gómez de Sandoval as his private secretary and dismissing his predecessor’s trusted advisors. Sandoval’s corrupt governance and Philip III’s pacifist foreign policy led to a crisis, dividing Spanish policy between the official government and the traditional Spain represented by prominent writers.
The Two Parts of Don Quixote
The first part of Don Quixote, written in 1605, focuses on the adventures of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, with secondary stories interwoven into the main narrative. The second part, written in 1615, shows a narrative maturity influenced by criticism. The stories are shorter and more closely tied to the main action. The characters are aware of their place within a famous story. During their stay at the Duke’s palace, Sancho and Don Quixote’s stories diverge before ultimately converging again.