Cervantes says, “For–whether it was of the dejection the thought of his defeat produced, or of heaven’s will that so ordered it–a fever settled upon him and kept him in his bed for six days, during which he was often visited by his friends the curate, the bachelor, and the barber, while his good squire Sancho Panza never quitted his bedside.” Now I know this is a long quote, but I think it really summarizes the information I am focusing on. Sancho was so loyal to Don Quixote that even after all of the adventure was over, he stuck by his side the entire time he was sick. Also, in the first part of the quote, it talks about Quixote dying due to his defeat or because it was really his time to go.

Quixote’s Death and Life

As this book finally comes to an end I find myself slightly disappointed. After all of the wild and crazy adventures Cervantes has taken us through, I was slightly upset with the anticlimactic ending. Going from fighting windmills, sheep, and even trying to fight a lion to just dying of sickness is not how I pictured the ending. Some may question if Quixote died from becoming sane again or if he actually died from an illness. In my opinion I think he died from a little bit of both.

Don Quixote lived for the adventure. Being a knight-errant was the one true happiness for Don Quixote. He loved fighting imaginary things and having his sidekick Sancho by his side at all times. I personally think Quixote died because he had no more will to live. Once his imagination disappeared and he came back to reality for good, I think he had nothing left to live for. So no, I do not think Quixote died from being sane or necessarily from a life-threatening illness. I believe he lost his will to live since his one true happiness was gone.

Sancho Panza

Throughout the book I have commented a lot on Sancho and Quixote’s friendship. There were several times where I questioned their friendship or if they would remain the duo they are. After all the pranks they played on each other and even Quixote not paying Sancho a penny for all he had to endure as Quixote’s Squire, I wondered if they would stick together. These last chapters really showed Sancho’s loyalty and the compassion he had for Quixote. Just as throughout the entire book, Sancho never left Quixote’s side even if Quixote was getting into trouble, he once again did not leave Quixote’s side in the last days of his life.

Quixote

Quixote has many characteristics to remember. One is his insanity. His crazy thoughts that led him to fight windmills or his crazy thoughts that always made him think he was in a castle instead of an inn. There are too many examples for that. Quixote will also be remembered as a brave man. Quixote always was the first to fight for someone if he thought they were being mistreated or if he thought something was bad. He was scared of nothing and always stood strong. Quixote is a man made for adventure. I truly believe he was created to live a fun exciting life. He found beauty in the strangest things and taught many lessons to readers.

After reading this book each week, it will be a little odd not reading about Quixote and Sancho’s next adventure. I will remember Quixote as a brave soldier who never gave up his dream. He always pursued what he though was right, and for that i believe he is admirable. I will remember Sancho as his loyal sidekick who never gave up on him. It is amazing that this book has come to an end and I really enjoyed reading such a unique story.