As I have continued to read part two of Don Quixote de La Mancha, I have begun to see some new character traits in Don Quixote that I am not so sure I like at all. Yes, we all know that his character is somewhat crazy, but does that atone for his sometimes quite horrible behavior towards other characters in the novel. In this blog post I will attempt to take a closer look at how these traits manifest themselves in different chapters with many characters, but especially Sancho Panza.

“God will do better than that,” said Sancho, “for if God gives the wound, he’ll provide the remedy” (pg. 645 Don Quixote De La Mancha by Cervantes)

“When are you going to stop, Sancho, damn you? said Don Quixote”(pg. 646 Don Quixote de la Mancha by Cervantes)

This episode that really emphasizes my point is the wedding between the rich Camacho and Quiteria the fair. When Sancho hears that the poor Basilio is the one who truly loves Quiteria and vice versa, he tries to stand up for true love and states that it is not fair that they should be torn apart. Don Quixote though, who is normally known for his standing up for the helpless and lovers of the world, for once takes the rich man’s side because he has money. I think this is a detrimental move to Don Quixote’s character. Yes, he has always been crazy, but at least he has stood up for the poor and defended those whom he saw in need. Here we see a clear example of two true lovers needing someone to step in, yet Don Quixote remains on the side of the rich because of appreciation for comfort and ease. It would seem that if he was really trying to be a true Knight he would have stepped up to the plate.This brings me to the question I first asked? Does Don Quixote just have a mean streak? I look forward to following Don Quixote further throughout the second part to see if this question is indeed proved to be true.