Don Quixote as a Messianic Figure

Miguel de Cervantes’ book, Don Quixote, depicts Alfonso Quijano, who gives up his very normal, fifty-something existence for a life of glory and knight errantry. This is due to his lack of a brain, which he clearly loses due to reading too many stories of knights and chivalry. The varying messianic references in Don Quixote emphasize the view that perhaps one thing isn't always as it seems, or isn't necessarily "good or bad" which is what we (more importantly people from the 17th century) were lead to believe. The multiplicity of religious truths in Spain could be analogous to the varying interpretations of the meaning and life of Don Quixote. Most importantly, though, we can see Don Quixote as a messianic figure all throughout the text of the book, which shares his name.

The relationship between Sancho and Don Quixote is one that I see between disciple and teacher. As their relationship grows, Sancho Panza is converted more to the philosophies and ideals of Don Quixote. From a biblical perspective it is just as Jesus with his disciples. Without Quixote, Sancho would have no meaning, no direction. Similarly, Don Quixote would have no way to preach his ideology without Sancho by his side.

The conversion of Sancho to Don Quixote’s cause is essential. As the narrator follows the duo throughout the story, both adventurers are tried and tested to their limits. After being repeatedly beaten and humiliated, Sancho begins to doubt the merit of their cause. At one of these moments Sancho explains a very important principle that he’s learned throughout their travels. He mentions how they are gaining very little from the adventures and battles that they‘d had up until that point. Though he is not as discouraged as he has been at times in the past, he does explain how they should be working directly for “an emperor, or some other great prince, who was engaged in a war,” where the adventurous knight errant would be able to, “show just how brave and strong,” he is (123).

In Burton Raffel’s translation of Don Quixote, called a Norton Critical Edition, Miguel de Cervantes must have known the biblical similarity of what Sancho declared, “This master of mine is clearly just as brave and strong as he says he is” (107). We can contrast that with the passage in the bible where Jesus asks his apostles, “But whom say ye that I am?” and Peter responds, “Thou art the Christ” (King James, Mark 8:29).

One of the most important messianic references that I have seen is that of suffering. Pain is one of the greatest forces, or sensations, in the entire text. Everywhere the pair of adventurers goes they encounter pain of some sort, and usually to a nearly unbearable extent. This could be for two reasons. It could be that Cervantes wanted to show how the characters are shaped by pain. The way that they react, the way they adapt and grow may have been the point he was trying to get across. While this is a plausible explanation, I believe there is something more to it than that. A very large part of the testaments of Christ’s disciples outlines the pains and suffering that he went through. In order for Jesus to be the important saving figure he had to endure endless pain. It is this that I believe Cervantes wanted to outline for the reader. To show this large, iconic figure – Jesus – in a burlesque light, which is the role of the character Don Quixote.

The words of Isaiah on the matter of the pain of the Messiah are clear. “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief … he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our greifs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:3-5). This image of Jesus suffering grief and pain has always been embraced by the Church, even to the point of donning an image of Jesus suffering on the cross in both public and private places. It is no surprise then that Sancho dubs Don Quixote, by a very similar name, “the Knight of the Sad Face” (108). Even with this very interesting comparison, we are given much more in regard to Don Quixote’s messianic mission. In 1:21 Don Quixote explains to Sancho his holy calling and the role of both of them in it. First I will outline Cervante’s account, then I will show how it relates to the Bible’s Plan of Salvation.

First, Don Quixote explains that a knight must roam all over the world, having adventures and gaining experience. He then stay with the king, falls in love with the king’s daughter, performs more wonderful acts, and eventually inherits the kingdom of his father in law. It is important to note that the king denies the knight the right to marry his daughter so the knight very well may be forced to kidnap her and they elope, though he does eventually receive the kingdom. Of course, the first item of business that is mentioned to Sancho is that the faithful squire is married off to on of the queen’s ladies and he also inherits some degree of power and glory.

Thus is the story of Jesus and his followers. He wins over the people’s hearts, going throughout the land and performing miracles. He is denied leadership of any sort and rejected both by civic and religious leaders. Even through all this strife, Christ assures his followers that he will overcome and become king of heaven. Once he has conquered he will then turn to those that were faithful to him and give them a part of his glory. This is the assurance which Jesus gave to his disciples, that after their faithfulness and endurance they would be rewarded. Not in their earthly lives, but in their lives to come. It is convenient for Don Quixote to assure his doubting squire that some day he will surely triumph. And upon that triumph, Sancho will receive his reward. Perhaps Miguel de Cervantes used this as one of the great parodies of Christianity. We look at Sancho and think that he is a fool for believing such a strange tale and having delusions of grandeur.

The truth is that Sancho is so very poor, and wretched, and pathetic, that he will cling to any hope that he can for a better life. He has a wife and children to take care of and he has truly reached his wit’s end. That is the reason he follows his messiah - Don Quixote - to the end of the world, through embarrassment and broken bones and all manner of strife and pain. He has a false hope in a figure that has promised to save him. Cervantes is telling the public that following a false savior will not grant them any reward in heaven. As one of the galley slaves professes in chapter 22, when Don Quixote offers to pay the man’s penance, “That … is like a man on the high seas who has plenty of money but is dying of hunger, because he has nowhere to buy what he needs” (129). It is ironic that Don Quixote believes that he has the means to save this man, yet the man sees very well that there is nothing Don Quixote can do to take away the man’s sins, and relieve him from his oppressor – who in this case is a symbol of hell and the devil.

The irony of these convicts does not stop there. Quixote atually frees all of the slaves and just as soon as he does so he commands them to believe, or to accept his “truth” by heading off to pay tribute to Dulcinea. The galley slaves easily see that Don Quixote is crazy and they turn on him and beat the very person that set them free. This happens on a number of occasions to Jesus. First, as he heals the ten lepers, nine of which turn and walk away without stopping to thank him. Second, it is extremely similar to the Jews, who he strives to lead and to serve, but who turn on him and eventually are responsible for his crucifixion.

The bitterness expressed in these passages is understandable, looking at the way war was waged against the Muslims, and the way that the Church forced conversion on Spanish Jews. Cervantes expresses that frustration and also the hypocrisy of this “conversion or death” attitude. It is with this historical context that we can understand the difficult situation in which many Jewish converts found themselves, being forced to act a certain way, regardless of what their beliefs were. The intent of Miguel de Cervantes was to open the world’s eyes and mind of the hypocrisy and terror that was being raged on these good, just people.

In conclusion, I maintain that through the references to the life of Christ, and the principles that are referred to by Cervantes, Don Quixote is shown as a messianic figure. Through this interpretive reading we can see the messianic references, and the burlesque manner in which they are displayed throughout the entire book.