Resumen de “Don Quijote”

Capítulo I

1. ¿Quién era don Quijote?There once was a nobleman, who lived with his housekeeper and niece, who enjoyed to read books about knights and chivalry. He read these books with such enthusiasm that he eventually began to lose touch with reality. He deemed it appropriate that he should “become” one of these knights and that he should set about, with his horse and armor, to look for adventures and to right the wrongs of the world.

Capítulo I

2. Los preparativos que hizo para convertirse en caballero andante.

Having made the decision to become a knight, don Quijote makes the necessary preparations to go out on his quests for adventure. He cleaned some old armor that had belonged to his great-grandparents. He repaired them with cardboard, iron and ribbons. He then spent 4 days coming up with a suitable name for his horse. He named him Rocinante. He in turn spends 8 days coming up with his own name of don Quijote.

Capítulo I

3. La búsqueda de una dama de quien enamorarse.DQ adds de la Mancha to his name so that he can be like the great heroes of the past. It also describes his lineage and allegiance. He mounts his horse in full armor to set out on a quest for a lady to love, as all knights should have. Close to his home, he comes across a beautiful peasant maiden. Unbeknownst to her, he has been in love with her for quite some time. Her name is Aldonza Lorenzo but DQ wants to give her a more worthy name. After much thought he decides on Dulcinea del Toboso because he liked the way it sounded and what it meant.

Capítulo II

1. Don Quijote hizo su primera salida.Having made all of his preparations without anyone’s knowledge, DQ sets out for the country very early one morning on one of the hottest days in July. It occurs to him that he is unarmed and according to the law of knights, he would not be able to fight anyone without the proper weapons. He travels on his horse all day until dusk. He and his horse are tired and starving when they come upon an inn that he thinks is a castle.

Capítulo II

2. Don Quijote se encontró con dos doncellas.He arrives at the inn as it is getting dark. He comes upon 2 ugly, common women at the door of the inn. To DQ, these 2 women were beautiful maidens. The women were alarmed to see DQ in full armor. He urges them to not fear him. The women busted out laughing when they heard DQ refer to them as fair maidens. DQ informs them that they should not laugh at a knight who wishes to serve them. The women began to laugh harder and DQ was becoming angrier. The fat innkeeper calmly informs him that there are no available beds at his inn.

Capítulo II

3. Cómo don Quijote habló al ventero.

Don Quijote then recites a poem to the innkeeper and tells him that his clothing is his armor and his rest is from fighting. DQ refers to the innkeeper as being Castilian when in actuality he is from Andalucía. He tells DQ that he is welcome to dismount and rest or not rest wherever he can.

Capítulo II

4. Cómo don Quijote cenó en la venta.

Don Quijote dismounts, with difficulty, and tells the innkeeper to take very good care of his valuable steed. He would like him to be fed bread. The doncellas attempt to help DQ take off his armor. They are unable to take off his helmet. DQ is served a pathetic meal of codfish and dirty bread. He struggles to eat with his helmet on and the doncellas and innkeeper help him. DQ is satisfied with his meal and manner of being fed.

Capítulo III

1. Donde se cuentan las necesidades de un caballero andante.DQ ended his meal quickly and heads to the stable. He gets on his knees and he tells the innkeeper that he would like to guard the arms and then be dubbed a knight so that I can set out for the 4 parts of the world for adventure on behalf of the needy. The innkeeper is catching on that DQ has lost his senses and begins to encourage his disillusionment. He tells him that the chapel is under construction but the ceremony can be performed in the courtyard. The innkeeper asks DQ if he has any money. DQ tells him that he never read that knights carry money and innkeeper tells him that it is not written about because it is so obvious, just like wearing clean shirts, that a knight should have money. He tells DQ that he needs a squire to carry the money for him.

Capítulo III

2. Donde don Quijote veló las armas.

Don Quijote promises the innkeeper that he will obtain a squire, money and clean shirts. DQ sets out in front of the trough to guard his armor that he has removed. The guests at the inn deliberately pretend they are challenging DQ as they go to use the trough to water their horses and mules. Despite the fact that it’s nighttime, the moonlight helps everyone to clearly see DQ’s antics. He fights anyone that tries to get too close to the armor he has removed and is guarding.

Capítulo III

3. El ventero decidió darle a don Quijote la negra orden de caballería.The people DQ has wounded begin to throw rocks at him. The innkeeper tries to get them to stop on account of the fact that he has told them that DQ is crazy. He decides to go ahead and knight DQ before anyone becomes seriously hurt. The innkeeper apologizes to DQ on everyone’s behalf and tells him that he would like to bestow upon him the order of the black knight. He tells DQ that it is ok that there is no chapel and that it’s ok to do it in the middle of the country. DQ believes everything he is being told and is anxious to get the ceremony under way.

Capítulo III

4. La graciosa manera que tuvo don Quijote de armarse caballero.

The doncellas and the innkeeper, reading from a “knighting book”, perform the knighting ceremony on Don Quijote. DQ knelt before the innkeeper and the doncellas performed various duties. DQ prayed all the while. The doncellas had to keep from bursting out laughing the entire time. At the conclusion, DQ hugs the innkeeper, thanks him and mounts Rocinante and heads out. The innkeeper lets him leave without asking him to pay for his stay.

Capítulo IV

1. De lo que le sucedió a nuestro caballero cuando salió de la venta.It was dawn when Don Quijote left the inn, very pleased he had officially been knighted. Recalling what the Castilian (innkeeper) had advised, DQ decides to return to his home to gather all that he needs, including a squire. Rocinante quickly recognizes where they are headed and seems to be gliding all the way home. Shortly after they depart, DQ hears some cries coming from the forest. He sees a young man, naked from the waist up, tied to a tree. It seems someone is whipping him with a belt for no apparent reason.

Capítulo IV

2. Cómo don Quijote defendió al muchacho.Don Quijote challenges the peasant who is whipping the young boy. The peasant claims that he has a right to beat the young man, as he is his servant. The young boy is in charge of watching over his flock of sheep. It seems that everyday, there is another sheep that has gone missing. The young boy claims that the peasant hasn’t paid him his wages. The peasant claims this is a lie. DQ orders the peasant to untie the young man and to leave him alone. DQ takes his leave as the peasant watches his departure. The peasant beckons for the servant to come to him so that he can pay him. As he does so, the peasant seizes him, beats him severely and leaves him for dead.

Capítulo IV

3. El encuentro con los mercaderes.After about 2 miles of travel, don Quijote discovers a large crowd of merchants and various servants, who are off to buy some silk. As soon as DQ sees them, he imagines a potential adventure, like the ones he has read about. This seems to be just the cause that he needs to champion. As he approaches the group, DQ announces that everyone will be detained if they do not proclaim that the most beautiful maiden in all of La Mancha is Dulcinea del Toboso. The merchants and their servants can tell that DQ is crazy. One of the more bold jokesters tells him that they do not know this lady he speaks of but that if DQ were to show her to them, they would be glad to proclaim what he asks.

Capítulo IV

4. De lo que sucedió a don Quijote con los mercaderes.If I present her (Dulcinea) to you, would you proclaim the obvious? The important thing is that you declare it without laying eyes on her in the spirit of chivalry. If not, we are enemies. I am confident you believe it should be so. All of this says don Quijote. The merchant implored DQ to at least show them a portrait. Even if she is ugly, we will proclaim what you ask. DQ swears the merchants will pay for such blasphemous words. With that DQ charged the spokesperson. Fortunately, Rocinante tripped or things would have ended up badly. DQ fell and was unable to get up under the weight of his armor and weapons. With that, the merchant beat DQ to a pulp. The merchants grew tired and left. All alone, DQ tried to get up once more. He was too beaten to succeed. He blamed his loss on his horse.

Capítulo V

1. Cómo un labrador salvó a nuestro hidalgo.A laborer finds Don Quijote lying near the road and leads him home on his mule. Don Quijote showers the laborer with chivalric verse, comparing his troubles to those of the great knights about whom he has read. He looks DQ over for injuries and picks him up to take him home. The laborer waits for night before entering the town with Don Quijote, in hopes of preserving the wounded man’s dignity.

Capítulo V

2. La vuelta de don Quijote a casa.Don Quijote’s friends, the barber and the priest are at his house. They have just resolved to investigate his books when Don Quijote and the laborer arrive. Immediately, everyone questions DQ to which he does not reply. He explains that he is injured because of his horse. The family receives Don Quijote with open arms, feeds him, and sends him to bed.

Capítulo VI

1. Del gran escrutinio que el cura y el barbero hicieron en la librería de don Quijote.The priest and the barber begin an inquisition into Don Quijote’s library to burn the books of chivalry. Though the housekeeper wants merely to exorcise any spirits with holy water, Don Quijote’s niece prefers to burn all the books. Over the niece’s and the housekeeper’s objections, the priest insists on reading each book’s title before condemning it. He knows many of the stories and saves several of the books due to their rarity or style.

Capítulo VI

2. Quemaron los libros de nuestro hidalgo.The priest soon discovers a book by Cervantes. He decides to keep the novel, expecting that the sequel Cervantes has promised will eventually be published. Don Quijote wakes, still delusional, and interrupts the priest and the barber. Having walled up the entrance to the library, they decide to tell Don Quijote that an enchanter has carried off all his books and the library itself. That night, the housekeeper burns all the books. When Don Quixote rises from bed and looks for his books, his niece tells him that an enchanter came and took the books and left the house full of smoke. Don Quijote believes her.

Capítulo VII

1. Don Quijote obtuvo un escudero.Don Quijote’s niece begs him to abandon his quest, but he refuses. He promises Sancho Panza that he will make him governor of an isle if Sancho leaves his wife and children to become Don Quijote’s squire. Sancho agrees, and after he acquires a donkey, they ride from the village, discussing the isle. DQ made sure he had clean shirts and the other provisions advised by the innkeeper.

Capítulo VII

2. La aventura de los molinos de viento.They do not say good bye to their family and loved ones when they depart. After a full day, Don Quijote and Sancho come to a field of windmills, which Don Quixote mistakes for giants. Don Quijote charges at one at full speed, and his lance gets caught in the windmill’s sail, throwing him and Rocinante to the ground. Don Quijote assures Sancho that the same enemy enchanter who has stolen his library turned the giants into windmills at the last minute. The two ride on in search of more adventure.