Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes Research Paper

Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes - Research Paper Example But as he went along, it became a highly entertaining and wonderful story, â€Å"quite as adventurous as any old –time romance, full of humor , abounding in wisdom an the very day things of life ,and to a certain extend ,of human nature â€Å" (N L Carrington). The theme of this novel is the tragedy that befalls those who are incapable of realizing the change of times and stick on the values and manners of a bygone era . The story which is a panorama of captivating events embodies the life, manners and milieu of medieval Europe which even at the time of his writing were outdated. The name of the book in Spanish is â€Å"E1 Ingeniso hidaldo Don Quixote de la mancha†. The hero Alonso Quixado belonging to place called La Mancha is a member of the lower nobility.(hidaldo) .He is tall and lean, about fifty years old , with cheeks that appeared to be kissing each other on the inside of his mouth, a neck half-yard long . Books of chivalry and adventure, which became very com mon in the fifteenth century, had been his obsession. Innumerable such books he has read with relish and enthusiasm. As a result, his mind is steeped in gripping accounts of enchantments, battles, challenges, wooing and agonies. He has thus lost his sanity. He fancies that he can make himself a knight errant and roam the world in full armor, righting every kind of wrong and exposing himself to peril, thus he will reap eternal renown’s as the undoer of injustice, the protector of damsels, the terror of giants and the winner of battles. In the book Don Quixote he himself says â€Å"I know I’m capable of ...of being all the Twelve Peers of France, and all the Nine Worthies as well, for my exploits will be far greater than all deeds they have done all together and each by myself† The novel is a highly amusing account of how this strange hero living in a make-believe world of medieval romance and adventure tries to make good this boast. The first thing he does is to change his name in keeping with the glorified office of a knight. The pedestrian Quixado thus becomes (Don Quixote of La Mancha, â€Å"Don ‘being the title reserved for the highly sophisticated and upper class in society, equivalent to ‘Sir’ In English. A knight was expected to have chivalric lady love. And he gallantly chooses a sturdy farm –lass, to whom he was never uttered a word, and gives her the name Dulceniadel Toboso. The next requirement was a mighty steed. A white but sickly and lean horse he manages to get from his family stable, and renames it Rocinate. A Set of ancient metal armor, helmet, sword and spear he is able to get from a dark room in his house and this serves as his knightly equipment. The armor and helmet are too large and heavy for his lean and lank body. But It is with supreme satisfaction that he whereas the armor and wields the weapons although the onlookers find him totally grotesque and funny. His knightly pose is complete onl y when he takes with him, as his squire or assistant, Sancho Panza, a stupid fat and short farmer from the neighboring village, According to stories of chivalry, the squire is to follow the knight –errant on another horse, but as they fail to secure a horse, Sancho Panza rides on a donkey. Don Quixote gives Sancho all kinds of promises including that of the governorship of a newly conquered island, and the foolish squire believes in all that completely. The ludicrous situations created by this pair going out in search of adventures are of unending interest