Don Quixote (Savouring the Classics)

 Savouring the Classics - Module III: Novel Excerpts

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

Chapter VIII


“Don Quixote” is a novel by Cervantes, the great Spanish writer. It speaks of the adventures of a man who reads many stories, and decides to set out for adventure. Chapter VIII describes a few of his adventures. Cervantes considers himself as the second author, who tells us that he got this story from another source.

Don Quixote considers himself as a knight, and travels with his friend Sancho Panza. Sancho is the neighbour of Don Quixote. He acts as the knight’s squire. Sancho is a poor and simple farmer but more practical than his friend.


One day, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza were travelling together. Don Quixote thinks that he is a knight, and Sancho Panza is his squire. They see some windmills in the countryside. Don Quixote believes that these are giants. So, he decides to fight and kill them. Sancho Panza tries to tell Don Quixote that they are windmills, but fails. Don Quixote moves his horse Rocinante, and drives his lance into the sail of a windmill. But suddenly the wind blows, and the sails began to move. The lance is caught in the sail. So, Don Quixote and the horse are pulled up. Soon they fell down, and the knight gets hurt, and his lance is broken. But even then, he is not willing to listen to Sancho Panza’s advice. He believes that some evil force has turned the giants to windmills, to trick him.


Sancho Panza helps Don Quixote to climb the horse. Talking about the adventure, they move on the road to Puerto Lapice. Don Quixote wanted to repair his lance using the branch of a good oak tree, just like the Spanish knight Diego Perez de Vergas did when his sword broke in a battle. With this sword he attacked many people, and got the name Machuca, the Bruiser. Sancho Panza understands the knight is hurt because of the fall. Don Quixote agrees, but says that knights should not complain about their wounds.

When Sancho Panza says that it is time to eat, Don Quixote says that he feels no need to eat. But Sancho can eat whenever he wished. They spend the night under some trees. Don Quixote gets a branch to use for his lance. During their journey, Don Quixote always has Dulcinea in his mind. Dulcinea is his lady love. With thoughts of Dulcinea, Don Quixote stays awake, just like the knights in the stories. The next day, they continue their journey on the Puerto Lapice road. Don Quixote refuses to have breakfast, because he decides to live on sweet memories.

By about three in the afternoon, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza reach Peurto Lapice. The knight is sure to get some adventure there. Quixote warns Sancho not to protect him when he is attacked, even if he is in danger. Sancho is happy about this, because he is not eager to fight.

Don Quixote and Sancho Panza see two Benedictine friars on mules ride down the road. Two servants, who were muledrivers, accompanied them. There was also another group behind them. In this second group, they saw a Basque lady, accompanied by some men on horseback. Don Quixote believes that the friars are evil magicians who have captured the princess in the carriage. So he decides to fight them. Sancho tries to tell him the fact, but fails.

Don Quixote rides to the Benedictine friars, calls them wicked and monstrous creatures, and asks them to release the princess. When they tell him who they really are, Don Quixote attacks them. One of them falls on the ground, and the other gallops away. Sancho Panza moves to the fallen man and tries to remove his dress. The friars’ servants attack Sancho. The friars do not wait further, but ride away.

Don Quixote approaches the lady and introduces himself as a knight errant, and a lover of Dulcinea. In return of his act of protecting her, he just wants her to visit this lady and tell her of the brave deeds. When a Basque squire who was accompanying the lady saw Quixote stopping the carriage from moving forward, he asks the knight to move off. But Don Quixote decides to fight him. The frightened lady has her coachman drive her away some distance from where she could see what is happening. Both the men were ready to attack each other.

Cervantes ends Chapter VIII with an interesting narrative strategy. He considers himself as the ‘second author’, who has got the story from another source. He promises the reader that he will find out the outcome of the fight and will speak of that at a later point.

“Don Quixote” is a story that combines satire and suspense. Cervantes successfully keeps our interest alive, and brings to us a story that is packed with humour. Though we laugh at Don Quixote, we feel compassion for his simplicity and goodness. 

Questions (with sentences taken from the essay to form answers)

Part A

1. Who are the giants that Don Quixote sees? 

One day, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza were travelling together. Don Quixote thinks that he is a knight, and Sancho Panza is his squire. They see some windmills in the countryside. Don Quixote believes that these are giants.

2. Who was called Machuca?

Don Quixote wanted to repair his lance using the branch of a good oak tree, just like the Spanish knight Diego Perez de Vergas did when his sword broke in a battle. With this sword he attacked many people, and got the name Machuca, the Bruiser.

3. Who is Lady Dulcinea?
During their journey, Don Quixote always has Dulcinea in his mind. Dulcinea is his lady love. With thoughts of Dulcinea, Don Quixote stays awake, just like the knights in the stories. 

4. What does Don Quixote tell Sancho Panza not to do, in their upcoming adventures?
Quixote warns Sancho not to protect him when he is attacked, even if he is in danger. Sancho is happy about this, because he is not eager to fight.

5. What did Don Quixote tell to the Benedictine friars?

Don Quixote rides to the Benedictine friars, calls them wicked and monstrous creatures, and asks them to release the princess. When they tell him who they really are, Don Quixote attacks them.

Part B

1. Sketch the character of Sancho Panza. 
Sancho is the neighbour of Don Quixote. He acts as the knight’s squire. Sancho is a poor and simple farmer but more practical than his friend.

2. Describe Don Quixote's battle with the Basque squire.

When a Basque squire who was accompanying the lady saw Quixote stopping the carriage from moving forward, he asks the knight to move off. But Don Quixote decides to fight him. The frightened lady has her coachman drive her away some distance from where she could see what is happening. Both the men were ready to attack each other.

3. What narrative strategy is used by Cervantes at the end of the chapter?

Cervantes ends Chapter VIII with an interesting narrative strategy. He considers himself as the ‘second author’, who has got the story from another source. He promises the reader that he will find out the outcome of the fight and will speak of that at a later point.

Prepared by Jacob Eapen Kunnath

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