1979. Choose a complex and important character in a novel or a play of recognized literary merit who might on the basis of the character’s actions alone be considered evil or immoral. In a well-organized essay, explain both how and why the full presentation of the character in the work makes us react more sympathetically than we otherwise might. Avoid plot summary. People say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. So it is with Don Quixote, who, in his quest for justice, incurs carnage in the wake of his adventures. Despite committing crimes such assault, theft, and vandalism, he remains sympathetic to the reader because of his redeeming desire for justice and because of the fact that his insanity and general impotence as a knight …show more content…
For example, when his “squire” Sancho Panza protests Don Quixote’s tendency to attack strangers, Quixote handwaves his complaints, stating, “Where have you ever seen or read that a knight errant has been brought before the law no matter how many homicides he may have committed?” (Cervantes 1605/2009). Despite this incredibly concerning statement, it is important to note that Don Quixote considers himself a knight-errant. This means that, “...for the sake of his honor and as a service to the nation,” he must adventure, “...righting all manner of wrongs…” (Cervantes 1605/2009). This quote is important because it emphasizes that Quixote’s rampage has a higher purpose. His endeavors in chivalry are a simply an attempt to make the world he lives in a better place for the good people inhabiting it. Yale professor Manuel Duran acknowledges this, …show more content…
Take for example, his tendency to attack random travelers. However, this is offset by the fact that he is not a capable fighter, with almost all of his foes escaping harm because they either do not exist, are stronger than him, or because he accidentally finds a way to incapacitate himself before he so much as touches them. In this way, he presents himself as more of a nuisance than a credible threat to others, and in this way the reader is not inclined to take him seriously. Consequently, he is mostly harmless as far as knights go, and in fact, he receives many more injuries than he causes. With every failure, he becomes more and more pitiable, to the extent that for once, the reader would like to see him succeed at