Don Quixote Chivalry

Miguel de Cervantes’ universally known work, Don Quixote of the Mancha, uses zany characters and outrageous adventures to comment on the old art of chivalry and its absence from contemporary society. The protagonist of the tale, Don Quixote, and his squire, Sancho Panza, venture 17th century Spain following the codes of chivalry, as any Knight-errant should. Chivalry values loyalty, self-control, perseverance, generosity, respect, and honor. Though he cherishes chivalry, Don Quixote, ironically a titled nobleman, is physically nothing like a knight; he is thin, elderly, and has a do-it-yourself suit of armor. Sancho Panza is in the same boat, as he is a middle aged country man with a family and not always well spoken. There is one little problem …show more content…
Women during this time had very little rights, and because of this, they slowly began to be left in the shadow and had very little power or say. As Don Quixote arrives at an inn he finds himself faced and greeted by women of the night, prostitutes, waiting for their next client. The profession these women have, even today, comes with very little respect. Men purchase these women for the night with no obligation or responsibility for the women. Don Quixote instead greets these women with the utmost respect, addressing them as ladies and maidens. He promises chivalry would never allow him to harm these maidens, and he bends the knee to serve them. Don Quixote’s actions are completely ludicrous to the naked eye, a nobleman man respecting and serving prostitutes is absurd to any time period. Another instance of what seems peculiar of Don Quixote is every moment when he is going to battle or through a hardship he calls out for his Lady Dulcinea of Toboso. Lady Dulcinea of Toboso is a fictional woman Don Quixote created in order to have a noble woman to call out to during his battles. Men of the Medieval Era would often fight in the name of their noble ladies. In the renaissance period, usually men call out to their god or inner strength to get them through their obstacles. It became a rarity to give credit to a woman for their accomplishments . Regardless, Don Quixote cries out to his Dulcinea, wherever she may be, for guidance and protection. An observer would consider these actions laughable because these ideas seem antique, out of place, and mad to call out to a fake being; but there is more to Don Quixote than a looney man. Don Quixote’s actions demonstrate that women have power whether they are physically present or not. Women are becoming voiceless in a growing patriarchy; Don Quixote ensures to give women importance by giving them respectable titles or