Quick — name a fictional character from a literary work written about 400 years ago.
Since you're reading this page, you probably had little difficulty coming up with Don Quijote, the title character of Miguel de Cervantes' famous novel. But how many others could you name? Except for characters developed by William Shakespeare, probably few or none.
At least in Western cultures, Cervantes' pioneering novel, El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha, is one of the few that has been popular for so long.
It has been translated into nearly every major language, inspired some 40 motion pictures, and added words and phrases to our vocabulary. In the English-speaking world, Quijote is easily the most well-known literary figure who was the product of a non-English-speaking author in the past 500 years.
Clearly, Quijote's character has endured, even if few people today read the entire novel except as a part of college coursework. Why? Perhaps it is because there is something in most of us that, like Quijote, can't always distinguish totally between reality and the imagination. Perhaps it's because of our idealistic ambitions, and we like seeing someone continuing to strive despite the disappointments of reality. Perhaps it's simply because we can laugh at a part of ourselves in the numerous humorous incidents that happen during Quijote's life.
Here is a brief overview of the novel that might give you some idea what to expect if you decide to tackle Cervantes' monumental work:
Plot summary: The title character, a middle-aged gentleman from the La Mancha region of Spain, becomes enchanted with the idea of chivalry and decides to seek adventure.
Eventually, he is accompanied by a sidekick, Sancho Panza. With a dilapidated horse and equipment, together they seek glory, adventure, often in the honor of Dulcinea, Quijote's love. Quijote doesn't always act honorably, however, and neither do many of the other minor characters in the novel. Eventually Quijote is brought down to reality and dies shortly thereafter.
Major characters: The title character, Don Quijote, is far from static; indeed, he reinvents himself several times. He often is a victim of his own delusions and undergoes metamorphoses as he gains or loses touch with reality. The sidekick, Sancho Panza, may be the most complex figure in the novel. Not particularly sophisticated, Panza struggles with his attitudes toward Quijote and eventually becomes his most loyal companion despite repeated arguments. Dulcinea is the character that is never seen, for she was born in Quijote's imagination (although modeled after a real person).
Novel structure: Quijote's novel, while not the first novel written, nevertheless had little on which it could be modeled. Modern readers may find the episodic novel too long and redundant as well as inconsistent in style. Some of the novel's quirks are intentional (in fact, some portions of the latter parts of the book were written in response to public comments on the portion that was published first), while others are products of the times.
References:Proyecto Cervantes, Miguel de Cervantes 1547-1616, Hispanos Famosos
Since you're reading this page, you probably had little difficulty coming up with Don Quijote, the title character of Miguel de Cervantes' famous novel. But how many others could you name? Except for characters developed by William Shakespeare, probably few or none.
At least in Western cultures, Cervantes' pioneering novel, El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha, is one of the few that has been popular for so long.
It has been translated into nearly every major language, inspired some 40 motion pictures, and added words and phrases to our vocabulary. In the English-speaking world, Quijote is easily the most well-known literary figure who was the product of a non-English-speaking author in the past 500 years.
Clearly, Quijote's character has endured, even if few people today read the entire novel except as a part of college coursework. Why? Perhaps it is because there is something in most of us that, like Quijote, can't always distinguish totally between reality and the imagination. Perhaps it's because of our idealistic ambitions, and we like seeing someone continuing to strive despite the disappointments of reality. Perhaps it's simply because we can laugh at a part of ourselves in the numerous humorous incidents that happen during Quijote's life.
Here is a brief overview of the novel that might give you some idea what to expect if you decide to tackle Cervantes' monumental work:
Plot summary: The title character, a middle-aged gentleman from the La Mancha region of Spain, becomes enchanted with the idea of chivalry and decides to seek adventure.
Eventually, he is accompanied by a sidekick, Sancho Panza. With a dilapidated horse and equipment, together they seek glory, adventure, often in the honor of Dulcinea, Quijote's love. Quijote doesn't always act honorably, however, and neither do many of the other minor characters in the novel. Eventually Quijote is brought down to reality and dies shortly thereafter.
Major characters: The title character, Don Quijote, is far from static; indeed, he reinvents himself several times. He often is a victim of his own delusions and undergoes metamorphoses as he gains or loses touch with reality. The sidekick, Sancho Panza, may be the most complex figure in the novel. Not particularly sophisticated, Panza struggles with his attitudes toward Quijote and eventually becomes his most loyal companion despite repeated arguments. Dulcinea is the character that is never seen, for she was born in Quijote's imagination (although modeled after a real person).
Novel structure: Quijote's novel, while not the first novel written, nevertheless had little on which it could be modeled. Modern readers may find the episodic novel too long and redundant as well as inconsistent in style. Some of the novel's quirks are intentional (in fact, some portions of the latter parts of the book were written in response to public comments on the portion that was published first), while others are products of the times.
References:Proyecto Cervantes, Miguel de Cervantes 1547-1616, Hispanos Famosos
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