Don Quixote Summary

Plot overview

Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes's sprawling 1605 and 1615 novel, is widely considered the first modern novel and the founding work of Western fiction. It follows Alonso Quixano, a middle-aged Spanish gentleman who has read so many chivalric romances that he loses his grip on reality, renames himself Don Quixote de la Mancha, and sets out to revive knight-errantry in a world that moved on centuries ago. With his stout, practical squire Sancho Panza riding beside him on a donkey, Don Quixote tilts at windmills, mistakes inns for castles, and repeatedly gets beaten for his troubles.

Cervantes began the book as a parody of the chivalric romances flooding Spain's literary market, but something happened on the way: the novel grew into something far larger and stranger than satire. Don Quixote becomes genuinely moving: a man who chooses to see the world as it ought to be rather than as it is, and whose delusion contains a kind of nobility that the people laughing at him cannot quite match.

By the second volume, published a decade later, both Quixote and Sancho have changed each other. Sancho has absorbed some of his master's idealism; Quixote has absorbed some of Sancho's earthiness. The novel ends in tragedy, but a tragedy soaked through with comedy and tenderness.

Chapter summaries

1. INTRODUCTION › THE AUTHOR’S PREFACE: Author's PrefaceThe narrator hesitates to publish Don Quixote, his friend advises how to dress the book with learned citations and paratext, and the narrator accepts.
2. Chapter 1: Character and PursuitsAn unnamed gentleman of La Mancha becomes obsessed with chivalric books, refashions himself and his horse, and decides to be a knight-errant.
3. Chapter 2: First Sally from HomeDon Quixote leaves at dawn in patched armour, imagines an inn as a castle, courts two girls, and is lodged and fed there while fretting he is not yet a knight.
4. Chapter 3: The Droll KnightingDon Quixote convinces the innkeeper to dub him a knight, keeps vigil over his armour, fights carriers, and is ceremonially dubbed before riding off.
5. Chapter 4: Leaving the Inn: First ExploitsDon Quixote leaves the inn, frees a mistreated servant and attacks some traders, only to be knocked down and badly beaten.
6. Chapter 5: Continued: The Knight’s MishapDon Quixote, bruised and convinced he has suffered chivalric wounds, rambles in ballads and is carried home where his friends plan to burn his books.
7. Chapter 6: The Library ScrutinyThe curate and the barber examine Don Quixote’s library and decide which books to save or condemn to the fire.
8. Chapter 7: Second Sally BeginsDon Quixote recovers from a fit, learns his books are gone, recruits Sancho Panza as squire, equips themselves, and secretly departs on a new sally.
9. Chapter 8: The Windmills and the CoachDon Quixote attacks windmills he believes are giants, then interrupts a coach, fights a Biscayan attendant, and the narrative breaks off mid-duel.
10. Chapter 9: Conclusion of the BattleThe chapter finishes the fight between Don Quixote and the Biscayan, then the narrator finds an Arabic manuscript by Cide Hamete Benengeli that records the episode.
11. Chapter 10: Pleasant Discourse Between Master and SquireAfter the fight Sancho begs Don Quixote for the promised island; they discuss wounds, a miraculous balsam, oaths, food, and where to sleep for the night.
12. Chapter 11: Encounter with GoatherdsDon Quixote and Sancho are welcomed by mountain goatherds, eat with them, Don Quixote declaims about the Golden Age, and a musician sings.
13. Chapter 12: The Goatherd's Tale of MarcelaA goatherd tells Don Quixote and company the story of Chrysostom's death and Marcela, a beautiful shepherdess who refuses all suitors.
14. Chapter 13: Marcela's Burial and DebateDon Quixote and company join others at Chrysostom’s burial and debate love, chivalry, and Marcela’s role in his death.
15. Chapter 14: Marcela's Defense and the GraveA mournful lay is read for the dead shepherd, Marcela appears to defend herself, Don Quixote orders respect, and Chrysostom is buried.
16. Chapter 15: The Yanguesan BeatingDon Quixote and Sancho rest after Chrysostom's burial; Rocinante is attacked by Yanguesan ponies and their drivers, and the two are brutally cudgelled before reaching an inn.
17. Chapter 16: The Inn Mistaken for a CastleDon Quixote is tended at an inn he imagines a castle; he mistakes Maritornes for a noble lady, a brawl breaks out, and a cuadrillero arrives.
18. Chapter 17: Troubles at the InnDon Quixote and Sancho endure beatings, make a bogus healing balsam, refuse to pay the inn bill, and Sancho is publicly mocked by blanket-throwers.
19. Chapter 18: Sancho’s Counsel and the Sheep BattleSancho urges retreat after his beating; Don Quixote mistakes two flocks for opposing armies and charges, is pelted and wounded, and they leave together.
20. Chapter 19: Sancho's Shrewd DiscourseDon Quixote attacks a nocturnal funeral procession thinking it supernatural; Sancho scavenges food from the clerics' provisions.
21. Chapter 20: The Fulling-Hammers MistakenDon Quixote pursues a mysterious noise at night; Sancho obstructs him, they endure fears and jokes, and dawn reveals the source as fulling-hammers.
22. Chapter 21: Mambrino’s HelmetDon Quixote mistakes a barber’s brass basin for the enchanted Helmet of Mambrino, claims it after charging the barber, and dreams aloud of fame and kingship.
23. Chapter 22: Freedom of the Galley SlavesDon Quixote encounters a chain of galley slaves, questions their crimes, frees them, and is then attacked and robbed by some of them.
24. Chapter 23: Sierra Morena and the Ragged YouthDon Quixote and Sancho hide in the Sierra Morena, find a valise with money and letters, and encounter a strange ragged youth said to be mad.
25. Chapter 24: Cardenio’s Tale ContinuesDon Quixote and Sancho meet Cardenio (the Ragged One), who begins a long tale of love and betrayal that ends in violence and confusion.
26. Chapter 25: Penance in Sierra MorenaDon Quixote goes into the Sierra Morena to perform a feigned penance while Sancho reluctantly agrees to carry messages home.
27. Chapter 26: Don Quixote as LoverDon Quixote imitates romantic penance in the Sierra Morena while Sancho seeks Dulcinea and meets the curate and barber.
28. Chapter 27: The Disguise and Cardenio's StoryThe curate and barber don disguises to recover Don Quixote, find Cardenio instead, who tells the tragic story of Luscinda and Don Fernando.
29. Chapter 28: The Mountain ConfessionThe Priest and the Barber discover a beautiful, disguised woman (Dorotea) in the Sierra, who tells how Don Fernando betrayed her and how she fled into the mountains.
30. Chapter 29: The Princess Micomicona RuseDorotea (Dorothea) and Cardenio meet allies and stage a ruse: Dorotea poses as Princess Micomicona to entice Don Quixote into rescuing her.
31. Chapter 30: Dorothea's Invented StoryDorothea invents a royal backstory to enlist Don Quixote's help; Sancho recovers his donkey and quarrels with his master over Dulcinea.
32. Chapter 31: Discussion with SanchoDon Quixote and Sancho recount Sancho’s visit to Dulcinea, argue about chivalry and rewards, and meet Andrés who reveals a sorry outcome.
33. Chapter 32: At the Inn: Books DebatedDon Quixote and his party reach the inn, debate erupts over books of chivalry, and the curate begins reading a found novel.
34. Chapter 33: Testing a Wife's VirtueAnselmo asks Lothario to seduce his wife Camilla to prove her chastity; Lothario resists, then accepts, and temptation grows.
35. Chapter 34: The Ill-Advised Curiosity ContinuedAnselmo’s experiment with Lothario succeeds in deceiving him: Camilla yields, then stages a bloodied suicide to convince Anselmo of her chastity, but the secret remains dangerous.
36. Chapter 35: Battle with Wine-skinsDon Quixote, dreaming he fights a giant, slashes the inn's wine-skins; the curate finishes the embedded novel of Anselmo and Camilla.
37. Chapter 36: More Incidents at the InnA veiled party arrive at the inn and a startling recognition reunites Luscinda and Cardenio while Don Fernando admits his love for Dorothea.
38. Chapter 37: Micomicona Continued; New GuestsDon Quixote awakens to find the Micomicona plot undone, pledges aid, and new travellers including a veiled Moorish woman arrive at the inn.
39. Chapter 38: On Arms and LettersDon Quixote delivers a long speech arguing that soldiers suffer more and deserve greater honor than men of letters, then the captive is asked to tell his life story.
40. Chapter 39: The Captive's Life StoryA captive recounts his family background, choice of careers with his brothers, his soldierly service, capture at sea, and subsequent enslavement and trials.
41. Chapter 40: The Captive and ZoraidaThe captive recounts life under Uchali, receives secret letters and money from a Moorish woman, and plots escape with a repentant renegade's help.
42. Chapter 41: The Captive and ZoraidaA renegade helps a group of Christian captives, led by the narrator, seize Zoraida and flee Algiers; storms, a French attack, and landing at Velez follow.
43. Chapter 42: Events at the InnA judge and his daughter arrive at the inn; the captive is revealed as the judge’s long-lost brother and Zoraida is accepted into the family.
44. Chapter 43: The Muleteer’s Story and the PrankA young woman reveals the musician she loves is a noble in disguise, while Don Quixote is tricked and left hanging by the wrist at the inn.
45. Chapter 44: Trouble at the InnAt dawn Don Quixote interrupts an uproar at the inn while a young Don Luis confronts servants and the Judge over love and disguise.
46. Chapter 45: Helmet, Saddle, and BrawlA debate over whether a barber’s basin is Mambrino’s helmet escalates into a violent inn brawl and the attempt to arrest Don Quixote.
47. Chapter 46: End of the Brotherhood AdventureDon Quixote's disputes at the inn are settled, he is tricked into a caged 'captivity' and carried off while prophesies comfort him.
48. Chapter 47: Enchanted Transport and DebateDon Quixote is carried in a cage on an ox-cart while companions explain and argue about his enchantment and the value of chivalric books.
49. Chapter 48: Canon on Drama and EnchantmentThe canon argues about bad plays and books of chivalry while Don Quixote, in a cage, and Sancho debate whether his confinement is enchantment or trickery.
50. Chapter 49: Sancho Questions EnchantmentSancho challenges Don Quixote's claim of enchantment; the party debates books of chivalry and the knight is briefly released from the cage.
51. Chapter 50: Shrewd ControversyDon Quixote defends chivalric books, promises Sancho a county, and the company hears a goatherd begin a tale after a goat's flight.
52. Chapter 51: Leandra and the SoldierA goatherd recounts the story of Leandra, a rich farmer's daughter who elopes with the flashy soldier Vicente and is later abandoned and robbed.
53. Chapter 52: Quarrel and Penitents' AdventureDon Quixote quarrels with a goatherd, attacks a procession of penitents he mistakes for kidnappers, is knocked down, then is brought home where verses about him are found.
54. The Author’s Preface: Author’s Preface to Part IIThe author replies to a spurious second Don Quixote, defends his honour and patrons, offers two comic madman anecdotes, and promises forthcoming works.
55. Chapter 1: Curate and Barber's VisitThe curate and the barber visit Don Quixote to test his reason and debate knight-errant ideals while a barber tells a cautionary madhouse tale.
56. Chapter 2: Sancho’s Altercation and ReportsSancho argues with Don Quixote’s niece and housekeeper, then reports villagers’ opinions and a printed history about them.
57. Chapter 3: A Talk about the BookDon Quixote, Sancho, and the bachelor Samson Carrasco discuss a printed history of Don Quixote and argue about truth, fame, and books.
58. Chapter 4: Sancho Replies and PlansSancho explains the loss of his ass, defends his spending, debates prospects of a second part, and Don Quixote readies a new sally.
59. Chapter 5: Sancho and Teresa argueSancho returns home excited to rejoin Don Quixote; he and his wife Teresa argue over his leaving and the prospect of his daughters' social rise.
60. Chapter 6: Argument with Niece and HousekeeperDon Quixote argues with his niece and housekeeper about knight-errantry and lineage, refuses to stay home, and admits Sancho at the end.
61. Chapter 7: Sancho's Terms and DepartureSancho bargains for wages and pledges to accompany Don Quixote; Samson persuades the knight to set out again and they depart for El Toboso.
62. Chapter 8: Journey to El TobosoDon Quixote and Sancho travel toward El Toboso, argue about fame, saints and Dulcinea, and finally enter the town at night.
63. Chapter 9: Midnight at El TobosoDon Quixote and Sancho arrive at El Toboso at night, mistake the church for Dulcinea’s palace, argue about her, then Don Quixote hides while Sancho goes to seek her by day.
64. Chapter 10: Sancho's Device for DulcineaSancho pretends three peasant girls are Don Quixote’s beloved Dulcinea so as to satisfy and deceive his master and avoid further errands.
65. Chapter 11: The Cart of DeathDon Quixote confronts a company of players on a cart dressed as Death and other figures, leading to a comic fracas and the rescue of Dapple.
66. Chapter 12: The Knight of the GroveDon Quixote and Sancho meet a doleful, singing knight in the night who speaks of unrequited love; their squires withdraw to gossip.
67. Chapter 13: Conversation of the Two SquiresSancho Panza and the Knight of the Grove compare the hardships and hopes of squires, drink, trade insults as compliments, and fall asleep.
68. Chapter 14: Continued Adventure: The GroveDon Quixote argues with a boastful Knight of the Grove, prepares a duel at dawn, and unhorses a masked opponent revealed as Samson Carrasco.
69. Chapter 15: The Knight of the Mirrors RevealedSamson Carrasco disguises himself as a knight to defeat Don Quixote; his squire Tom Cecial deserts after their failure and Samson nurses his wounds and vow to try again.
70. Chapter 16: Encounter with a GentlemanDon Quixote and Sancho debate enchantment and identity, then meet a courteous, well-dressed gentleman (Don Diego de Miranda) who talks about books and his son.
71. Chapter 17: The Lions' AdventureDon Quixote insists on confronting caged lions being transported to court, proves his courage, and renames himself Knight of the Lions.
72. Chapter 18: The Green Gaban CastleDon Quixote is hospitably received at Don Diego de Miranda’s country house, converses at length about knight-errantry and poetry, and departs after several days.
73. Chapter 19: The Enamoured ShepherdDon Quixote meets traveling students and peasants, learns of Camacho and Quiteria’s wedding, witnesses a fencing dispute, and arrives at the wedding meadow.
74. Chapter 20: The Wedding of CamachoDon Quixote and Sancho arrive at Camacho's lavish wedding where the festival contrasts wealth with Basilio's poverty and Quiteria's choice.
75. Chapter 21: Camacho’s Wedding ContinuedAt Camacho’s wedding Basilio stages a dramatic suicide to force Quiteria to marry him, then reveals it as a trick after they are secretly married, provoking a brawl that Don Quixote stops.
76. Chapter 22: The Cave of MontesinosDon Quixote is lowered into the cave of Montesinos while Sancho and a learned cousin wait above and later draw him out seemingly asleep.
77. Chapter 23: The Cave of MontesinosDon Quixote recounts an elaborate vision of enchanted knights, ladies, and marvels he claims to have seen in the cave of Montesinos.
78. Chapter 24: Trifles and TravelDon Quixote, Sancho and a cousin debate the truth of Montesinos' cave, meet travelers, and choose to spend the night at an inn.
79. Chapter 25: The braying tale and the divining apeDon Quixote hears a comic story of two men who bray for a lost ass, then watches Master Pedro’s puppet-show and the ape that 'divines'.
80. Chapter 26: The Puppet-Show RampageDon Quixote attacks a puppet show to defend the lovers represented, destroys the spectacle, and pays for the damages before leaving the inn.
81. Chapter 27: Master Pedro and the Braying TroopDon Quixote confronts a feuding militia whose banner ridicules a town; Sancho is struck after braying and they flee amid stones and gunfire.
82. Chapter 28: Retreat, Remorse, and WagesAfter fleeing a hostile crowd, Don Quixote and a bruised Sancho talk about prudence, promises, and pay before camping in a grove overnight.
83. Chapter 29: The Enchanted BarkDon Quixote and Sancho find an unmoored boat they believe is enchanted, set out on the river, attack millers, and are rescued and paid for the wrecked boat.
84. Chapter 30: The Huntress and the Duke's WelcomeDon Quixote and Sancho encounter a hunting party, gain the favour of a duchess and duke, and are invited to a nearby castle.
85. Chapter 31: Reception at the Duke's CastleDon Quixote and Sancho arrive at the duke and duchess's castle and are ceremonially received while Sancho's bluntness and a churchman's rebuke provoke amusement and tension.
86. Chapter 32: Reply and Courtly JestsDon Quixote defends knight-errantry before the duke and duchess while Sancho is promised an island and both endure playful court mockery.
87. Chapter 33: Sancho’s Conversation with the DuchessSancho explains his deception about Dulcinea, defends his loyalty, and the duchess and duke decide to prank Don Quixote and prepare to reward Sancho with a mock government.
88. Chapter 34: The staged enchantmentThe duke and duchess stage an elaborate nocturnal spectacle—a mock procession of enchanters and demons—to convince Don Quixote that Dulcinea can be disenchanted.
89. Chapter 35: Dulcinea's Required PenanceA mock-enchanter demands Sancho accept 3,300 lashes to restore Dulcinea, and after bargaining he reluctantly agrees to the penance.
90. Chapter 36: The Distressed Duenna ArrivesA comic spectacle unfolds as the duke’s household stages entertainments, Sancho’s letter is read, and a solemn squire brings news of the Countess Trifaldi seeking Don Quixote’s help.
91. Chapter 37: The Duenna DebateAt the duke's hall the household argues about duennas while drums announce the arrival of the Distressed Duenna.
92. Chapter 38: The Distressed Duenna’s TaleA masked mourning procession presents a distraught duenna who begs Don Quixote and Sancho to hear her long story about Princess Antonomasia and Don Clavijo.
93. Chapter 39: Trifaldin's Tale ContinuesTrifaldin (the Distressed One) recounts how Don Clavijo and Princess Antonomasia are enchanted by the giant Malambruno, and the duennas are transformed with beards.
94. Chapter 40: Promise of ClavileñoSancho and Don Quixote promise to aid the bearded duennas by seeking the enchanted wooden horse Clavileño and confronting the enchanter Malambruno.
95. Chapter 41: Clavileño and the ConclusionDon Quixote and Sancho ride the wooden horse Clavileño in an elaborate jest that ends with a staged ‘flight,’ an explosion, and a proclamation of success.
96. Chapter 42: Counsels for SanchoBefore Sancho departs to govern the promised island, the duke outfits the joke and Don Quixote gives Sancho long practical and moral advice on ruling.
97. Chapter 43: Second Counsels to SanchoDon Quixote gives Sancho a long, humorous set of practical and moral rules for governing, while Sancho replies in proverbs and self-defense.
98. Chapter 44: Sancho’s Government and Don Quixote’s NightSancho is ceremonially sent to govern an island while Don Quixote overhears a serenade and wrestles with temptation and modesty.
99. Chapter 45: Sancho Takes BaratariaSancho Panza arrives as governor of Barataria and delivers a string of comic but effective judgments that astonish the townspeople.
100. Chapter 46: The Bell and Cat FrightDon Quixote sings for Altisidora at night and is terrorized by hundreds of bells and a sack of cats, leaving him wounded and bedridden.
101. Chapter 47: Sancho's Island GovernmentSancho is ceremonially installed as governor of Barataria, sparsely fed by a cautious physician, receives a warning letter from the duke, and angrily rebukes a petitioner.
102. Chapter 48: Don Quixote and Doña RodriguezDon Quixote befriends the duchess’s duenna, Doña Rodriguez, who asks him to right a wrong, but both are mysteriously assaulted in his bedchamber.
103. Chapter 49: Sancho's island roundsSancho conducts his night rounds as governor, settling disputes, encountering a disguised pair, and returning the young cross-dressed siblings home.
104. Chapter 50: Duenna Flogged and NewsThe duchess and Altisidora punish the duenna and Don Quixote, and a page brings letters and gifts to Teresa Panza announcing Sancho's governorship.
105. Chapter 51: Sancho’s Government ProgressSancho presides as governor, hears a puzzling legal case, reads Don Quixote’s counsel, replies, and issues practical ordinances.
106. Chapter 52: The Second Distressed DuennaDoña Rodríguez and her daughter petition Don Quixote for justice; the duke accepts a formal challenge and letters from Teresa Panza amuse the court.
107. Chapter 53: Sancho's Troubled ExitSancho's brief governorship collapses after a cruel prank; he renounces office and decides to return to his former life.
108. Chapter 54: Sancho Meets RicoteSancho meets his old neighbour Ricote disguised as a pilgrim; Ricote tells of Morisco exile and asks for help to recover buried treasure.
109. Chapter 55: Sancho Buried in a PitSancho and his ass fall into an old pit, he crawls through caverns to find an exit, and Don Quixote rescues him with the duke’s help.
110. Chapter 56: The Mock BattleA staged duel set up by the duke goes awry when Tosilos refuses to fight, declares himself willing to marry Doña Rodríguez's daughter, and Don Quixote is proclaimed victor.
111. Chapter 57: Don Quixote Takes LeaveDon Quixote departs the duke’s castle; Altisidora mockingly accuses him of stealing kerchiefs and garters, revealing comic misunderstandings.
112. Chapter 58: Adventures Crowd InDon Quixote and Sancho leave the duke's castle, meet image-carriers, a mock Arcadia of shepherds, are celebrated, and are trampled by a herd on the road.
113. Chapter 59: The Inn, the Book, and DefenseDon Quixote and Sancho rest, reach an inn, overhear a book about Don Quixote, and defend his constancy and reputation to two gentlemen.
114. Chapter 60: Ambush, Roque, and Claudia's TragedyDon Quixote and Sancho are waylaid by Roque Guinart's band; Roque spares them, helps resolve a violent episode involving Claudia Jeronima and Don Vicente, and promises a public spectacle in Barcelona.
115. Chapter 61: Don Quixote Enters BarcelonaDon Quixote and Sancho reach Barcelona, are warmly received by horsemen yet mocked by boys who irritate their mounts, and are led to a nobleman's house.
116. Chapter 62: The Enchanted HeadDon Antonio entertains Don Quixote and Sancho with a supposedly enchanted answering head and other diversions in his house and city.
117. Chapter 63: Visit to the Galleys and the Fair MoriscoDon Quixote and Sancho visit the galleys; Sancho is hoisted and terrorized, a captured 'youth' reveals a tragic Morisco story ending with a reunion.
118. Chapter 64: Challenge of the White MoonA mysterious Knight of the White Moon defeats Don Quixote and forces him to promise to desist from knight-errantry for a year.
119. Chapter 65: Who the Knight WasSamson Carrasco reveals himself as the Knight of the White Moon; Don Gregorio is freed and reunited with Ana Felix; preparations and departures follow.
120. Chapter 66: Departure and EncountersDon Quixote and Sancho leave Barcelona, debate fortune and prudence, judge a village wager, and meet Tosilos who brings news for the duke.
121. Chapter 67: Resolution to Live as ShepherdsAfter his fall, Don Quixote decides to adopt a pastoral life with Sancho, imagining poetic renown and rustic pleasures.
122. Chapter 68: The Bristly AdventureDon Quixote and Sancho are trampled by a herd of pigs, sleep, are later captured by armed men, and taken to the duke's castle at night.
123. Chapter 69: Altisidora's mock-resurrectionDon Quixote and Sancho are brought into a theatrical court where Altisidora is mock-resuscitated after Sancho endures staged humiliations.
124. Chapter 70: The Mock Funeral and RevelationsDon Quixote and Sancho awaken to discover Altisidora 'resurrected' as part of the duke and duchess's prank; Samson's disguise and motives are revealed.
125. Chapter 71: Sancho's Self-ScourgingAfter Altisidora’s apparent resurrection, Sancho insists on being paid by whipping himself so Don Quixote can count the lashes and reward him.
126. Chapter 72: Return to the VillageDon Quixote and Sancho reach their village after securing a legal declaration from Don Álvaro Tarfe and completing Sancho’s penance.
127. Chapter 73: Omens on the HomecomingDon Quixote returns to his village, reads omens everywhere, proposes to live as a shepherd, and is tended at home by family.
128. Chapter 74: Sickness, Will, and DeathDon Quixote falls ill, regains his reason, makes a will renouncing chivalry, and dies as Alonso Quixano.

Characters

• Don QuixoteProtagonist
• Sancho PanzaMajor character
• Dulcinea del TobosoMinor character
• RRocinanteMajor character
• The DukeMajor character
• DDappleMinor character
• The BarberMajor character
• Cide Hamete BenengeliNarrator
• The DuchessMajor character
• The PriestMajor character
• Samson CarrascoMajor character
• The InnkeeperMinor character

All 33 characters ›