Don Quixote: Prologues and Early Chapters
Prologue 1: A Mockery of Pedantry
Cervantes begins by describing his initial struggles in writing the prologue. He explains that he started writing the book in prison and, while preparing the foreword, found himself repeatedly stuck. A friend visits Cervantes and points out that the book lacks endorsements from famous figures, a common practice at the time. The friend suggests that, given Cervantes’s age and limited publications, his book might be perceived as inferior. Cervantes, pretending to be a man of little culture, uses this prologue to satirize the often pedantic and extensive introductions common in works of the time, particularly those of Lope de Vega. His friend ultimately advises him to fabricate the necessary poems and annotations.
Prologue 2: A Defense Against Imitation
In the second prologue, Cervantes directly addresses the unauthorized sequel by Avellaneda and subtly criticizes Lope de Vega. He recounts a story to deter Avellaneda and concludes by warning that Don Quixote is his creation alone, emphasizing the difficulty and complexity of writing such a work.
Chapter VII: The Walled Library and a New Squire
Don Quixote awakens, crying out as if in the midst of a fierce battle. The priest and the barber, concerned for his well-being, restrain and calm him. After he eats and sleeps, they decide to wall up his library, hoping to prevent him from accessing the books that fuel his delusions. They plan to tell him, should he inquire, that a magician made the library disappear. Don Quixote spends the next fifteen days quietly, seeking funds and convincing a peasant named Sancho Panza to become his squire, promising him governorship of an “island” in return. They set off at dawn.
Chapter VIII: The Famous Battle with the Windmills
On their journey, Don Quixote and Sancho encounter windmills. Don Quixote, believing them to be giants, prepares to attack. Despite Sancho’s warnings that they are merely windmills, Don Quixote charges. He is thrown from his horse, Rocinante, when his lance gets caught in a sail. Afterward, Don Quixote recalls a story about a knight, Vargas Machuca, who used a tree branch as a lance, and he decides to do the same. The next day, heading towards Puerto Lápice in search of adventure, they see two Benedictine friars and a lady traveling behind them. Don Quixote, convinced the friars have kidnapped the lady, attacks.
He knocks one friar down, and the other flees. Sancho, seeing the fallen friar, attempts to take his belongings, claiming them as the spoils of battle. However, two servants of the friars intervene and beat Sancho. Meanwhile, Don Quixote is speaking to the lady, demanding that she go to El Toboso and tell Dulcinea of his deeds.
Chapter XXI: The Helmet of Mambrino and a New Title
This chapter describes how Don Quixote sees a barber wearing a basin on his head (to protect his hat from the rain). Don Quixote imagines this basin to be the legendary helmet of Mambrino and decides to seize it. He attacks the barber, who, frightened, flees, leaving the basin behind. After a discussion with Sancho, Don Quixote decides to adopt the title “Knight of the Sorrowful Countenance.” They continue their conversation, fantasizing about becoming wealthy kings.