Character List

The book gets even more interesting for the readers for the fact that Cervantes is able to uniquely create a sort of byroad for ‘Don Quixote’s‘ main characters to meet and interact with popular characters from other stories and myths as a way of connecting the dots in their quest to obliterate evil from the world to help the needy and comfort the distress.

Alonso Quixano

Alonso Quixano takes the central figure role of Cervantes’ narrative as a tragicomic hero of the book. He begins by consuming too many books and literature on chivalric romantics and doesn’t mind selling his belongings to afford them. He idolizes the heroes in the stories of the books he reads and by his fifties makes up his mind and decides to be a hero himself by reviving knight-errantry.

For the cause, he changes his name to ‘Don Quixote‘ and appoints a squire for his quest, setting out to deliver the world from evil enchanters and bad guys who would oppress the poor and helpless. With a noble heart along with virtues such as dignity, honesty, and pride, ‘Don Quixote‘ doesn’t look back or second guess his intentions even though they are not received well by society.

Sancho Panza

Sancho Panza is a young man who Alonso Quixano trusted enough to take in as his squire. Unlike his master Alonso who cares about nothing but the noble goals of their mission, Sancho is on the trip for money, wealth, or power, as he is under constant pressure to provide for his family.

Sancho doesn’t exactly share the ideas and believes of Alonso and most times he often tries to talk his master out of one idea or the other because he understands they are socially absurd and unacceptable. Sancho can be said to be a loyal servant to Alonso, but even his loyalty is based on the fact that his master promised to gift him an island.

Sampson Carrasco

He is a young student in the village where ‘Don Quixote‘ hails. His primary mission in the book is to conspire with ‘Don Quixote’s‘ friends and family to make sure Quixote fails on his knight-errantry adventures and returns home by disguising himself as the formidable white knight. Carrasco trails ‘Don Quixote‘ studiously and always has something up his sleeves.

He is often found in one form of disguisement or the other. He becomes the reason why ‘Don Quixote‘ couldn’t accomplish his mission.

The Priest

A very good friend of ‘Don Quixote‘ back in the village. The Priest is concerned and worried about Quixote’s mental state and would often try to help out in any way that he can. He avails himself and notably pairs with other acquaintances of Quixote’s, particularly the barber and Quixote’s niece Antonia, as they try to bring him home and cure his madness.

A Barber

His real name is never revealed in the book and is only referred to as the barber. He too is a friend of Quixote’s back at the village, and he does everything he can, often partnering with the priest, Quixote’s niece Antonia, and others, to help out.

The Innkeeper

When Quixote and company set out for their first sally, they get into a village and seek a place to stay the night and refresh to continue their journey. In this village is an inn crowd of people from all classes and managed by the innkeeper, who Quixote prefers to see as a lord. The innkeeper is the one who gets the privilege to officially knight Quixote upon his request.

Aldonza Lorenza

She becomes the supposedly beautiful young lady from an upper-class family but ‘Don Quixote‘ renames her Dulcinea and imagines she is the love of his life. However, the sad truth is Lorenza is not that beautiful nor does she come from a wealthy family. Also, she doesn’t even know Quixote too well to start with.

Antonia

She is ‘Don Quixote’s‘ affectionate niece who loves, cares, and would do anything to keep her uncle safe and in a sound mental state. Antonia is always fond of Quixote and is one of the people that pioneered the burning into ashes of ‘Don Quixote’s’ library, which is thought to have had a huge influence in deteriorating Quixote’s mental health.

The Duke And Duchess

These two play the role of noble but haughty rulers who utilize every single opportunity they get to ridicule or cause pain for ‘Don Quixote‘ and his squire, Sancho Panza. The traveling pair had become something close to celebrities on entering the territory of the Duke and Duchess because the people had read the duo’s exploits from the history books. However, these aristocrats pretend to host the traveling knight and his servant, but with the aim to humiliate them in reality.

Marcella

She is the young shepherdess whose family is a member of the upper crust of society and described as elegant and beautiful by Cervantes. In one of his excursions, ‘Don Quixote‘ encounters her on her way to being a recluse and isolated from society because she can’t settle down or accept a marriage proposal from men. In the book, one finds that the strain of loving Marcella is the reason a young man loses his life.

The Princess Micomicona

She is better than Dorothea. She crosses patch with ‘Don Quixote‘ who tries to arrange for a parley to fix the love issues with Don Fernando, who is reneging on his marriage duty to her. Dorothea gives out her virginity to Don Fernando after he promises to marry her but instead he leaves her and ties the knot with Lucinda, putting Dorothea in the biggest form of the disgrace of their time.

Dorothea is determined and would do anything, including disguising herself as a man and teaming up with Cardenio, to get Don Fernando to keep his words. She is also of great benefit for ‘Don Quixote’s‘ friends and family as she assists a great deal in bringing Quixote back home to the village, pairing with the priest and barber.

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