ses to be doneaway with, and the duties to be performed” (Church, 64). He changed his name toDon Quixote de la Mancha and decided to roam the world righting wrongs (Church, 5). He was determined to dress himself in rusty armor, a cardboard helmet and become a knight-errant (Putnam, 70). Knights were chivalrous and brave. No man could be a knight unless it was bestowed upon him. Knights were true and loyal totheir countries, their ladies and to themselves. The morals of a knight were to be respected and noted. Knights were protectors and held in high acclaim. Knights no longer existed, however, the adoration of knighthood was not unlikely. Don’s fascination and obsession with knighthood is not without merit. Don Quixote’s viewof knighthood, realistic or not, of knighthood was based upon such reasoning.He rode a bony horse named Rosinante. He persuaded a neighbor of his, apoor and ignorant peasant called Sancho Panza to be his squire ( Jarvis, 82). Hebelieved in Don’s fantasies. “Sancho is a symbol of the common man of the Renaissance who is discovering himself and his rights and has begun to assert himself but still continues to look to the nobility for protection” (Church, 15).Sancho is not as intelligent as Don Quixote. Church states, “Through his suffering as a tortoise and in the pit, Sancho has learned his rightful identity, whereas Don Quixote has emerged from his cave even more deeply entangled in his fantasies of 4 knighthood” (Church, 144).Without informing any one of his intentions, Don rode out of town. He sawhow easily he had made a beginning toward the fulfillment of...
