Don Quixote and Romanticism: Analysis and Characters
Don Quixote
Characters
Don Quixote
Tall, thin, with a long beard, Don Quixote is a noble knight with a vivid imagination and unwavering belief in chivalry. In Chapter XII of Part 2, he demonstrates his compassionate nature by comforting another gentleman. Throughout the novel, Don Quixote’s “madness” is not always apparent. For example, in Chapter XII of Part 2, he engages in intelligent and cultured discussions about life and death.
Sancho Panza
Short and plump, Sancho Panza is a farmer who has become more cultured since becoming Don Quixote’s squire. He is a good-hearted man, though initially appearing rough. As the novel progresses, Sancho undergoes a “quixotization,” gradually believing in Don Quixote’s ideals and truths.
The Knight of the Forest
This character is actually Don Quixote’s friend, the bachelor Samson Carrasco, in disguise. Distressed by Don Quixote’s indifference, he poses as a knight to convince him to return home.
Dulcinea
Dulcinea is a waitress with whom Don Quixote falls in love. In reality, she is an unattractive and unkempt woman. However, Don Quixote’s imagination transforms her into a beautiful woman worthy of a knight’s affection.
Language and Style
Don Quixote represents the pinnacle of Spanish prose. The novel’s style is not uniform but rather polyphonic, incorporating various levels of Renaissance prose, often with parody and imitation. The characters’ diverse voices reflect their social status and moods, creating a rich tapestry of language.
Cervantes’ style is characterized by precise language, elegant phrasing, and harmonious rhythm.
Themes
- Literary criticism of chivalric love
- Madness, freedom, and injustice
Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes (September 29, 1547 – April 22, 1616) was a Spanish soldier, novelist, poet, and playwright. Widely regarded as the greatest figure in Spanish literature, he is best known for his novel Don Quixote, considered the first modern novel and one of the finest works of literature. Cervantes was nicknamed the “Prince of Wits.”
Duality
The characters in Don Quixote embody the duality of realism and imagination. Don Quixote and the other characters are constantly reinterpreted, leading to symbolic readings of the book and its characters.
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic movement that emerged in Germany and England in the 18th century, quickly spreading to France and the Americas. It emphasized emotion over reason and imagination over classical forms. In literature, Romanticism reacted against the rigid structures of classicism. Key themes included freedom, unrequited love, loneliness, sadness, nostalgia, melancholy, and despair. Romantic landscapes often reflected the poet’s mood.
Romantic Authors
- Mariano José de Larra
- Gustavo Adolfo Becquer
- José de Espronceda
- Rosalía de Castro
Romanticism in Colombia
Around 1850, Colombian political parties debated between liberal reforms and the preservation of colonial structures. Young university students were influenced by French Romantic poets and novelists. Colombian literature in the latter half of the 19th century reflected European Romantic models, particularly the themes of fate, love, death, nationalism, and history.
Romanticism in Argentina
José Mármol, an Argentine poet, wrote Amalia (1855), considered the first significant Argentine novel. This sentimental novel highlights the decline of Juan Manuel de Rosas’s government and is seen as the first extensive novel in Argentine literature. Esteban Echeverría and Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, with their works El Matadero and Facundo, respectively, also criticized Rosas and explored the conflicts between unitary and federal systems.