Don Quixote: Love, Loyalty, and Captivity Tales
Episodes of Marcela and Chrysostom
Chrysostom, a man of good family and a student of astronomy at Salamanca, dies of unrequited love for Marcela, the daughter of Guillermo the Rich, whose beauty has made many others sick with longing.
The Galley Episode
This episode uses more colloquial language with touches of irony and humor. Several men, imprisoned for their crimes, ask Don Quixote to consider their ‘raids,’ some speaking mournfully, others cheerfully. This story allows us to see how Don Quixote applies his sense of justice. Ultimately, he flaunts his skills and madness, but with good intentions, to free the prisoners, emphasizing his character, much to the dismay of the guards, like Ginés Pasamonte.
Cardenio, Lucinda, Dorothea, and Fernando: Themes of Infidelity
This section explores themes of infidelity and romantic games. Cardenio, a man of good family, is deeply in love with Lucinda. Their love is intense, and they make mutual promises. Cardenio intends to ask for Lucinda’s hand in marriage, but her father sends him to accompany Duke Ricardo’s son, who is in love with a wealthy peasant girl but treats her with disdain. Cardenio feels betrayed by Ferdinand and spends his days in the mountains awaiting death. In the same mountains, Dorothea, dressed as a man (typical for women seeking to protect their honor), recounts how Fernando eventually marries Luscinda, despite his promises to her.
Lucinda is delicate and sensitive, protected by her parents and with little interaction with strangers. Dorothea has a strong personality, though a peasant, and both are of great beauty.
The Story of ‘El Curioso Impertinente’: Loyalty in Marriage and Friendship
This story discusses loyalty in marriage and friendship, and the nature of curiosity. Anselmo and Lothario (two friends), Camila and Leonela (a maid) are the main characters. It touches on misogyny and social customs, particularly the protocols of love, relationships, and honor. Anselmo, Camilla, and Lothario are close friends. One day, Anselmo asks Lothario to test Camilla’s virtue. Lothario initially declines, but eventually agrees. Lothario, Camilla, and Leonela create a plot to deceive Anselmo for several months. Eventually, Leonela, Camilla, and Lothario leave, leaving only Anselmo. When he discovers the deception, he goes to a friend’s house in the countryside, where he dies after writing an epilogue explaining his demise. Camila dies shortly after, and Lothario dies in battle.
The Story of the Captive Captain
This is a typical Spanish novel, similar to ‘Abencerraje History.’ It describes the world during the Moorish conquest, often depicting wealthy Moors who are courteous and refined, especially the women with their jewels. Christians rival them in courtesy, and the Moors view Christian culture as more liberal. The novels show us Moors who are well-informed about Christian customs, and some admire the Christian land and even convert. The captive women possess great beauty. The Captain tells how his father divided his estate into four parts for his children, one for arms, one for letters, and one for trade. He chose arms and was captured and imprisoned. He receives money and a letter from a Christian woman who wants to elope with him. The Captive then goes to the Leonese mountains with his beloved to find surviving relatives.