# Of the omens Don Quixote had as he entered his own village, and other incidents that embellish and give a colour to this great history explained — Don Quixote

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

## What happens

Don Quixote returns to his village, interpreting a boy's comment and a hare's flight as omens that he will never see Dulcinea again. Sancho dismisses the superstitions. They meet the curate and Samson Carrasco, who accompany them home. Don Quixote tells them of his defeat and his plan to become a shepherd for a year, proposing pastoral names for himself, Sancho, and his friends. The curate and bachelor humorously agree, hoping to cure his madness.

## Themes in this chapter

### Reality vs. Illusion

Don Quixote interprets a boy's casual remark and a hare's flight as omens about Dulcinea, while Sancho pragmatically dismisses them, highlighting the clash between Quixote's delusional worldview and Sancho's grounded perspective.

### Chivalry and Idealism

Despite his defeat, Don Quixote plans a pastoral life, adhering to knightly vows and idealizing a simple shepherd existence, showing his enduring commitment to chivalric ideals.

### Literature and Metafiction

The characters discuss adopting literary names for shepherdesses from popular pastoral romances, and the chapter is framed by Cide Hamete's narration, emphasizing the self-referential nature of the story.

## Character check-ins

### Don Quixote

Returns home defeated, interprets omens about Dulcinea, and proposes a pastoral life as a shepherd.

### Sancho Panza

Dismisses Don Quixote's omens, catches a hare, and returns to his wife Teresa and daughter Sanchica with money.

### Samson Carrasco

Meets Don Quixote at the village entrance, agrees to join the pastoral plan, and suggests using literary names for shepherdesses.

### The Priest

Accompanies Samson Carrasco, praises Don Quixote's resolution, and agrees to join the pastoral scheme.

### Teresa Panza

Greets Sancho with concern about his appearance, but is reassured by the money he brings.

### Sanchica

Embraces her father Sancho and asks if he brought her anything.

## Key lines

> Malum signum, malum signum! a hare flies, greyhounds chase it, Dulcinea appears not.

Bad omen, bad omen! A hare runs, dogs pursue it, and Dulcinea does not appear.

_Don Quixote interprets the hare's flight as an ill omen regarding Dulcinea._

> there are the omens broken and destroyed, and they have no more to do with our affairs, to my thinking, fool as I am, than with last year's clouds

The omens are now broken and irrelevant, no more connected to our situation than last year's clouds.

_Sancho dismisses the omens by buying the cricket cage, showing his practical skepticism._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/don_quixote_se/chapters/part-ii-lxxiii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/don_quixote_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/don_quixote_se/chapters