The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, Part 20

In Short

This narrative follows the third and final journey of a man who has convinced himself that he is a medieval knight-errant, accompanied by his pragmatic yet loyal squire, Sancho Panza. It is a profound exploration of idealism versus reality, told through the lens of a satirical picaresque. The work has endured for centuries because it manages to be simultaneously hilarious and deeply moving, capturing the fundamental human struggle to find meaning in a world that often refuses to conform to our highest, most romanticized expectations.

The Story

The story resumes in the hidalgo's home, where his niece and housekeeper live in constant terror of his next "sally." They recognize that he is obsessed with the chivalric romances of the past, viewing his desire to roam the countryside as a dangerous madness. Despite their pleas for him to settle into the quiet dignity of a gentleman, the protagonist remains resolute. He is soon visited by Sancho Panza, whose own motivation for joining the journey is grounded in the promise of a future island governorship. Their clandestine departure is facilitated by the local bachelor, Samson Carrasco, who hides his own agenda behind a facade of support.

The duo sets out for El Toboso, determined to find the protagonist’s idealized lady, Dulcinea. Throughout the journey, the tension between the knight’s internal world and the external environment intensifies. He interprets every object and encounter through a filter of legend, while Sancho struggles to navigate the physical world—at one point, the squire is so desperate to satisfy his master’s obsession that he attempts to trick him by pointing to a group of peasant girls and insisting that one is the enchanted princess Dulcinea.

The tragedy of the narrative lies in the knight’s complete inability to see the world as it is. When he encounters the peasant girls, he is convinced that a "malign enchanter" has disguised their beauty under a coarse, rustic exterior. He treats these confused, unimpressed villagers with the elaborate courtly deference due to a royal lady. Meanwhile, Sancho, who initially tries to deceive his master to avoid further "adventures," begins to play along with the delusion, reinforcing the knight’s perspective even as he witnesses the absurdity.

The arc is defined by this persistent, tragic refusal to awaken. The knight continues to interpret the world through signs and omens, constantly seeking validation for his status as a hero. He is not merely a man lost in a fantasy; he is a man who forces the world to conform to his internal vision, regardless of the physical reality of jackasses, wheat fields, or small, dusty towns. As they continue their path, they are followed by the weight of their own reputations—the world around them has begun to hear of their exploits, and they are increasingly treated as curiosities. The story concludes with the knight still trapped within his own construct, even as the reader sees the widening gulf between his noble intentions and the reality of his lonely, often humiliating, wanderings.

How It Unfolds

The protestations of home The housekeeper and niece attempt to dissuade the aging gentleman from another excursion, arguing that he is too frail and that his chivalric pursuits are mere madness. They plead with him to remain a respected member of his own community rather than a wandering knight.

The alliance of the squire Sancho Panza enters the fray, negotiating for fixed wages rather than vague promises of future riches. Despite the practical concerns of his wife and the anxieties of the household, he ultimately pledges his loyalty to his master.

The intervention of the intellectual Samson Carrasco, a local scholar, decides to encourage the knight’s departure, though his true motives remain hidden from the household. He views the situation as an opportunity to influence the knight’s path for his own purposes.

The arrival at El Toboso The travelers reach their destination in the dead of night, searching for a palace that does not exist. The knight’s romantic expectations are repeatedly thwarted by the mundane reality of churches and silent, sleeping streets.

The enchantment of the lady Sancho attempts to manipulate his master by presenting three peasant girls as the high-born Dulcinea and her retinue. The knight, blinded by his belief in wicked enchanters, interprets their coarse behavior as a cruel spell that must be endured with humility and love.

The People

Don Quixote is the quintessential dreamer who views his own history and personal identity through the lens of romantic literature. He desires only to live as a true knight, yet his physical decline makes his quest an act of profound, sometimes pathetic, persistence. Sancho Panza acts as the necessary anchor to the earth; his desire for material security and his penchant for proverbs ground the narrative in the realities of peasant life. While he is initially driven by the prospect of profit, he develops a genuine, if often exasperated, attachment to his master. Samson Carrasco represents the world of logic and social order; he is the "bachelor" who thinks he can manipulate the situation, but he soon becomes a participant in the complex game of truth and fiction that defines the knight's life.

In Its Own Voice

"I only know that if I were king I should decline to answer the numberless silly petitions they present every day; for one of the greatest among the many troubles kings have is being obliged to listen to all and answer all, and therefore I should be sorry that any affairs of mine should worry him."

The knight reveals his own sense of self-importance and his tendency to view the world through the lens of regal duty.

"There are men of low rank who strain themselves to bursting to pass for gentlemen, and high gentlemen who, one would fancy, were dying to pass for men of low rank; the former raise themselves by their ambition or by their virtues, the latter debase themselves by their lack of spirit or by their vices."

The knight lectures his niece on the shifting, often deceptive nature of social status and personal character.

What It's Really About

The central argument revolves around the nature of truth and the power of individual perception. The knight is not merely "mad"; he represents the human capacity—and perhaps the necessity—to impose a personal meaning upon an indifferent world. The book questions whether a life governed by noble, albeit impossible, ideals is superior to a life of practical, mundane realism. By contrasting the knight’s "enchanted" visions with Sancho’s blunt observations, the narrative forces the reader to consider if we are all, in some measure, living within our own carefully constructed delusions, and whether those delusions are the very things that give our lives their shape and purpose.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate a layered, introspective narrative will find this volume deeply rewarding. It is a masterclass in tone; it manages to poke fun at the absurdity of the knight’s delusions while simultaneously demanding that the reader respect his unwavering commitment to his own code of honor. The prose is warm and human, filled with the flavor of Spanish village life, proverbs, and the distinct, clashing voices of its two protagonists.

Be aware, however, that the work is deeply rooted in the social attitudes and literary styles of the early 17th century. The pacing can be leisurely, and the knight’s long speeches on chivalry, while eloquent, require patience. You will encounter archaic references to long-forgotten poems and a complex, sometimes frustrating interplay of characters who are constantly debating the "history" of the knight’s own deeds. Yet, the reward is an unparalleled portrait of friendship and the bittersweet realization that, while reality may be harsh and unyielding, the human capacity to dream remains a powerful, if dangerous, force. It stays with you because it captures the fundamental conflict of the human condition: the desire to be a hero in a world that rarely provides the opportunity to be one.