Don Quixote · Chapter
XIX: Of the shrewd discourse which Sancho held with his master, and of the adventure that befell him with a dead body, together with other notable occurrences. explained
Don Quixote and Sancho, hungry and weary, encounter a procession of priests carrying a dead body.
What happens
Don Quixote and Sancho, hungry and weary, encounter a procession of priests carrying a dead body. Don Quixote attacks them, believing them to be phantoms, and injures a bachelor named Alonzo López. After the adventure, Sancho suggests Don Quixote be called the 'Knight of the Rueful Countenance,' a name Don Quixote happily adopts. The chapter also includes Sancho's reminder of a broken oath and the theme of chivalric obligation.
Themes in this chapter
Reality vs. Illusion
Don Quixote mistakes a funeral procession for phantoms and spectres, highlighting his delusional perception of reality.
Chivalry and Idealism
Don Quixote's adoption of the name 'Knight of the Rueful Countenance' and his insistence on righting wrongs reflect his idealistic chivalric code.
Friendship and Loyalty
Sancho's loyalty is evident as he follows Don Quixote despite fear, and their dialogue about the broken oath shows their bond.
Characters to notice
- Don Quixote
Attacks a funeral procession, adopts the name 'Knight of the Rueful Countenance,' and discusses chivalric oaths with Sancho.
- Sancho Panza
Warns Don Quixote about a broken oath, suggests the name 'Knight of the Rueful Countenance,' and gathers provisions from the priests' mule.
- The Priest
A bachelor named Alonzo López, part of the funeral procession, is injured by Don Quixote and later identifies himself as a licentiate.
Key passages
“I do not understand that Latin, but I know well I did not lay hands, only this pike; besides, I did not think I was committing an assault upon priests or things of the Church, which, like a Catholic and faithful Christian as I am, I respect and revere, but upon phantoms and spectres of the other world”
Don Quixote claims ignorance of Latin and insists he attacked only phantoms, not priests, asserting his respect for the Church.
This quote underscores Don Quixote's delusion and his rationalization of attacking the funeral procession.
“There is no occasion, señor, for wasting time or money on making that countenance; for all that need be done is for your worship to show your own, face to face, to those who look at you, and without anything more, either image or shield, they will call you 'Him of the Rueful Countenance'”
Sancho jokes that Don Quixote's own battered face is enough to earn the name 'Knight of the Rueful Countenance' without needing a painted shield.
Sancho's humor highlights the physical toll of Don Quixote's adventures and his master's earnest embrace of chivalric titles.