There have been instances, rather many and varied, where don Quixote should have, in my own opinion, been able to pick up that what’s happening around him is a ruse. A farce set up by the duke and duchess to have their fun.

One such occasion being when don Quixote drew a parallel between Clavileno and the Trojan Horse… and was then persuaded to lose his suspicions.

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Trojan Horse

‘”There’s no need,” replied the Distressed on, “for I’ll vouch for the horse, and I know that Malambruno is neither mischievous nor traitorous. Your grace, senor don Quixote, can mount without fear, and I’ll be to blame if something goes awry.”‘ Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes, 1605 & 1615, Part II, Chapter XLI

Sancho points out the next bit, questioning something that doesn’t quite make a lot of sense to him:

‘”Senor, how can their voices reach us if as they say we’re so high in the air? It seems as if they’re right next to us?” Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes, 1605 & 1615, Part II, Chapter XLI

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Clavileno, DQ & SP

 

I myself draw parallels between that and the movie we saw over the failed production of Don Quixote. I feel like the film itself was a Trojan Horse, the idea of it was good, inspired and worthwhile. But when it came down to it, there were many problems, a lot of bad luck that came in many shapes and forms.

Much like Don Quixote, the producer (forgive me for I have forgotten his name) did not give up on the movie, even when pretty much everyone else would have.

But still… not giving up on these ideas can at times just seem plain old foolish.

‘”… I’ll swear that in all of the days of my life, I’ve never gotten on a horse that’s so smooth. It’s as if we haven’t moved a step…”‘ Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes, 1605 & 1615, Part II, Chapter XLI

Perhaps it’s because we as readers actually know what’s going on but this could not be any more obvious. Blowing winds and all, you can feel it when you’re moving. I used to do horseback riding and it’s not like a car, where the g-forces are mitigated. You can feel it when you move.

Poor Sancho once again notices that things aren’t adding up a couple of chapters later. He says:

‘”Senor, either the devil hauls me off from here right now, or your grace has to confess that the face of this steward of the duke, here present, is the same as the Distressed One’s.” Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes, 1605 & 1615, Part II, Chapter XLIV

After don Quixote does indeed admit that their faces look the same, he says that they can’t be the same person ‘”because if he were, it would imply a huge contradiction.”‘ Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes, 1605 & 1615, Part II, Chapter XLI

It only brings up the question about why don Quixote, while freely seeing things as they are, for the most part, won’t acknowledge that the duke and duchess have been playing games with him and Sancho.