Don Quixote

by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Start Free Trial

Don Quixote Questions and Answers

Explain Don Quixote as a picaresque novel.

After the battle, how did Don Quixote account for the windmills?

Why couldn't Sancho Panza change Don Quixote's mind about the windmills?

What does the novel Don Quixote say about romantic love or chivalrous romance?

Meaning of Don Quixote in the 21st Century The character of Don Quixote is referenced often in today's world. He might be nearly 400 years old, but he is hard to avoid...it seems someone is always tilting at windmills somewhere.  After hearing Quixote mentioned recently in different contexts, I've begun to wonder if Don Quixote, as a symbolic figure, represents more than one idea and if this character might mean different things to different people. Though we probably all usually assume that this literary figure represents one, solid and single idea, I think it is worth asking a question or two to find out if this is actually the case... What does Don Quixote represent to you?  Is there one simple idea that he symbolizes or is he representative of a broader set of ideas?  What one or two word phrase sums up the meaning of this literary character for you?

1. What is Don Quixote's armor made of? 2. Why do we continue to hold him up as a hero when he's clearly out of touch with reality? 3 Why does the charge of " tilting at windmills" still carry a tinge of respectability-- or does it?

Why is Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes considered the first modern novel? 

What is humorous about Don Quixote's attempt to repair his great-great-grandfather's armor?

Is there any symbolic meaning to the images of the windmills as in referencing economic and social issues that would give light on what Cervantes is attacking?

What is the significance of metafictional elements in Don Quixote?

What are the distinguishing features of the novel genre in comparison with former romance narratives? In other words, what gives the novel its particular characteristic as a distinct genre? Can you give specific examples from Don Quixote?

Why is Don Quixote considered heroic if all he is doing is "tilting at windmills"?

Is Señor Quijada a hero? Is Don Quixote a hero? Why or why not?

Which parts of Don quixote do you find humorous but meaningful?

Explain why Don Quixote is a tragedy or comedy or both.

How does Don Quixote compare to the stereotypical knight?    

Why is Don Quixote viewed as a tragedy by some people? Explain, and use references.

How does Cervantes use humor in Don Quixote? How does humor work in the novel? What are some examples of humor?

What are some similarities and differences between Sancho Panza and Don Quixote in Miguel de Cervantes's Don Quixote?    

Why do Don Quixote and Sancho need to leave La Mancha for their adventures to occur? How does the role of the journey in this text compare with other texts where journeys play a central role? Do our characters make the hero’s journey as explained by Joseph Campbell?

In Don Quixote, how does the work fit into the category of satire?

How does Quixote explain losing the battle with the “giants”? What are these giants, and why can he not defeat them?

What are some examples of idealism vs. realism in Don Quixote?

Where are examples on the theme of love in Don Quixote? How does the theme of love pertain to the mood or tone of Don Quixote?

Why do you think Mr. Quixote could no longer differentiate between the real world and the imagined world?

What is significant about the knight’s lady love? Why does Quixote need to include her in his new reality?

Discuss the relationship between Don Quixote and Sancho Panza in Don Quixote.

What effect did the reading of so many books on the adventures of knights have on Don Quixote?

What is the relationship between Morality and Don Quixote in the story?

What is Don Quixote's motivation for fighting the giants?

Before Don Quixote decides to become a knight, what is his occupation?

Why is Don Quixote (book 1) viewed as a comedy by some people? Use references, and explain.

Why do you think Don Quixote recovers his wits at the end of the novel?

What Is Don Quixote About?

To what extent does a reader’s knowledge of the stories in Alonso Quijana’s library help to understand Don Quixote’s motivation? What is his motivation?

What stops Don Quixote from locating Alifanfaron?

How does Sancho Panza show loyalty to his master, Don Quixote, and his friend Alonso Quijana?

How is the digression, "Ill-Advised Curiosity" in the novel Don Quixote a symbol of true history?

Is Don Quixote an idealist or a realist?

Alonso Quijana is swept away by the fictional stories in his library. What is the purpose of storytelling? To amuse? To enlighten? To lead us toward the ideal, making us better people? Given the events and themes in the novel Don Quixote, what do you believe Cervantes’s opinion is on these questions? What is your own?

Analyze the first ­­­­paragraph of the novel.  Who is telling the story and what does he think of Don Quixote? Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saaverdra

Is the relationship of Sancho Panza and Don Quixote more like friends or master/servant? 

How does Don Quixote feel about property ownership, slavery, and marriage?

In Don Quixote, which passages support the idea that Don Quixote's romantic dream was destroyed?    

Why is the Windmill Scene (Chapter VIII) important/well-known?

What was the outcome of Don Quixote's meeting with the prisoners?

Could you please give any type of evidence that shows Don Quixote is not insane?

What is the significance of closing scene in Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra's novel Don Quixote?

What advice does Don Quixote give Sancho Panza about humility?

How would you explain the enduring appeal of Don Quixote?