Drifter
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This might be a short thread with little interest, but I'm just curious to see if anyone else has read Cervantes' tales of Don Quixote of La Mancha and interpreted it as I have. I read the book years ago around the time I was reading about the Spanish inquisition, and there seemed, to me, to be a direct connection.
The character, Don Quixote, is commonly portrayed as a misguided but heroic man. This portrayal is exemplified by the song "The Impossible Dream" from the play "Man of La Mancha", which glorifies the characteristics this kind of person represents.
My take on this character is that Don Quixote was meant as a veiled symbol representing the inquisition itself. His companion, Sanch Panzo, who has been promised riches in the kingdom to come for remaining faithful, represents the followers of the church. Dulcinea, a woman Don Quixote never met but is the inspiration he dedicates his life to, would represent the church's image of the holy spirit.
Throughout the book there are many parallels mirroring, in comedic form, the evils of the inquisition. These parallels could not have been written so as to have been blatantly obvious because the inquisition was going on at the time, and many people had been executed for lesser offenses than criticizing the church.
Don Quixote was a wildly popular character at the time, which is why I believe, at the end of the book when Don Quixote lay dying, Cervantes has him remorsefully admit his life's quest had been wrong.
The character, Don Quixote, is commonly portrayed as a misguided but heroic man. This portrayal is exemplified by the song "The Impossible Dream" from the play "Man of La Mancha", which glorifies the characteristics this kind of person represents.
My take on this character is that Don Quixote was meant as a veiled symbol representing the inquisition itself. His companion, Sanch Panzo, who has been promised riches in the kingdom to come for remaining faithful, represents the followers of the church. Dulcinea, a woman Don Quixote never met but is the inspiration he dedicates his life to, would represent the church's image of the holy spirit.
Throughout the book there are many parallels mirroring, in comedic form, the evils of the inquisition. These parallels could not have been written so as to have been blatantly obvious because the inquisition was going on at the time, and many people had been executed for lesser offenses than criticizing the church.
Don Quixote was a wildly popular character at the time, which is why I believe, at the end of the book when Don Quixote lay dying, Cervantes has him remorsefully admit his life's quest had been wrong.