# Of what happened to our knight when he left the inn explained — Don Quixote

> Chapter companion for Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra.

## What happens

Don Quixote, newly dubbed a knight, leaves the inn and decides to return home for money, shirts, and a squire. On the way, he intervenes in a farmer's beating of his servant Andrés, demanding the farmer pay the boy his wages. After Don Quixote leaves, the farmer ties Andrés up again and beats him even more severely. Don Quixote then continues home, content with his first act of knight-errantry.

## Themes in this chapter

### Chivalry and Idealism

Don Quixote's first act as a knight is to right a perceived wrong, but his idealistic intervention fails as the farmer beats Andrés again after he leaves.

### Justice and Morality

Don Quixote attempts to enforce justice by demanding the farmer pay Andrés, but his naive approach results in greater harm, questioning the effectiveness of his moral crusade.

### Reality vs. Illusion

Don Quixote sees the traders as knights-errant and demands they confess Dulcinea's beauty without seeing her, illustrating his delusion that the world matches his chivalric books.

## Character check-ins

### Don Quixote

Exhilarated after being dubbed a knight, he intervenes to right a wrong involving a boy being beaten, then returns home to prepare for further adventures.

### Dulcinea del Toboso

Invoked by Don Quixote as the lady to whom he dedicates his deeds, demanding traders confess her beauty.

### Rocinante

Don Quixote's horse, who eagerly heads toward home after the knight decides to return for supplies.

### Andrés

A young servant boy being beaten by his master Juan Haldudo; Don Quixote intervenes but the farmer later beats him worse.

### Sancho Panza

Mentioned as the farm laborer Don Quixote plans to recruit as his squire.

## Key lines

> mayest thou this day call thyself fortunate above all on earth, O Dulcinea del Toboso, fairest of the fair! since it has fallen to thy lot to hold subject and submissive to thy full will and pleasure a knight so renowned as is and will be Don Quixote of La Mancha

Don Quixote declares Dulcinea the luckiest woman alive because she has a famous knight like him devoted to her.

_Don Quixote's self-congratulatory speech after his first adventure, showing his inflated self-image._

> The essential point is that without seeing her you must believe, confess, affirm, swear, and defend it; else ye have to do with me in battle

Don Quixote demands the traders accept Dulcinea's beauty on faith alone, or face combat.

_Illustrates Don Quixote's insistence on blind faith in his idealized version of reality._

> I go with him! said the youth. Nay, God forbid! No, señor, not for the world; for once alone with me, he would ray me like a Saint Bartholomew.

Andrés refuses to go home with his master, fearing he will be flayed alive.

_Andrés' realistic fear contrasts with Don Quixote's naive trust in the farmer's oath._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/don_quixote_se/chapters/part-i-iv
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/don_quixote_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/don_quixote_se/chapters