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Don Quixote · Chapters

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Chapter companions for Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra.

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  1. Chapter 1

    Translator's Preface

    The translator provides an introduction to the work, discussing the challenges and philosophy of translating Cervantes' classic, and setting the stage for the reader's engagement with the text.

  2. Chapter 2

    About This Translation

    The translator discusses the history of English translations of Don Quixote, critiquing various versions from Shelton to Duffield, and explains his own approach to producing a faithful translation that respects the original's spirit and avoids affectation.

  3. Chapter 3

    II: About Cervantes and Don Quixote

    This chapter provides a critical analysis of Don Quixote's character, arguing that he lacks individuality and is merely a mouthpiece for chivalric ideals. It contrasts his madness with his virtue, discusses Sancho Panza's development as a more prominent and mendacious figure in the Second Part, and examines the widespread popularity and enduring appeal of the novel across cultures and time.

  4. Chapter 4

    Don Quixote Part I

    The first part of Don Quixote introduces Alonso Quixano, a man who loses his mind from reading chivalric romances and reinvents himself as the knight-errant Don Quixote. He embarks on his first sally, gets dubbed a knight at an inn, and engages in a series of misadventures including attacking windmills he believes are giants, battling a Biscayan, and freeing galley slaves. Interwoven are tales of love and misfortune involving characters like Cardenio, Dorothea, and Fernando. The part concludes with Don Quixote being tricked into returning home in a cage.

  5. Chapter 5

    Dedication

    Cervantes dedicates his work to the Duke of Béjar, praising his patronage of the arts and seeking his protection for the book.

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  1. Chapter 6Some Commendatory Verses
  2. Chapter 7Chapter II: Which treats of the first sally the ingenious Don Quixote made from home
  3. Chapter 8III
  4. Chapter 9Of what happened to our knight when he left the inn
  5. Chapter 10V
  6. Chapter 11Of the diverting and important scrutiny which the curate and the barber made in the library of our ingenious gentleman
  7. Chapter 12Of the second sally of our worthy knight Don Quixote of La Mancha
  8. Chapter 13Chapter VIII: Of the good success which the valorous Don Quixote had in the most terrifying and never-to-be-imagined adventure of the windmills, with other events worthy of happy memory
  9. Chapter 14Chapter IX
  10. Chapter 15Of the pleasant discourse that passed between Don Quixote and his squire Sancho Panza
  11. Chapter 16XI
  12. Chapter 17XII
  13. Chapter 18Chapter XIII
  14. Chapter 19XIV
  15. Chapter 20Chapter XV: The Unfortunate Adventure with the Yanguesans
  16. Chapter 21XVI
  17. Chapter 22XVII
  18. Chapter 23XVIII
  19. Chapter 24XIX: 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.
  20. Chapter 25Of the unexampled and unheard-of adventure which was achieved by the valiant Don Quixote of La Mancha with less peril than any ever achieved by any famous knight in the world
  21. Chapter 26Which treats of the exalted adventure and rich prize of Mambrino's helmet, together with other things that happened to our invincible knight
  22. Chapter 27Of the freedom Don Quixote conferred on several unfortunates who against their will were being carried where they had no wish to go
  23. Chapter 28Of what befell Don Quixote in the Sierra Morena, which was one of the rarest adventures related in this veracious history
  24. Chapter 29XXIV
  25. Chapter 30Which treats of the strange things that happened to the stout knight of La Mancha in the Sierra Morena, and of his imitation of the penance of Beltenebros
  26. Chapter 31XXVI
  27. Chapter 32Of how the curate and the barber proceeded with their scheme; together with other matters worthy of record in this great history.
  28. Chapter 33XXVIII Which treats of the strange and delightful adventure that befell the curate and the barber in the same Sierra
  29. Chapter 34Chapter XXIX
  30. Chapter 35Chapter XXX
  31. Chapter 36Of the delectable discussion between Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, his squire, together with other incidents.
  32. Chapter 37XXXII Which treats of what befell Don Quixote's party at the inn
  33. Chapter 38The Ill-Advised Curiosity
  34. Chapter 39XXXIV
  35. Chapter 40Which treats of the heroic and prodigious battle Don Quixote had with certain skins of red wine, and brings the novel of The Ill-Advised Curiosity to a close.
  36. Chapter 41XXXVI Which treats of more curious incidents that occurred at the inn
  37. Chapter 42XXXVII
  38. Chapter 43Which treats of the curious discourse Don Quixote delivered on arms and letters
  39. Chapter 44XXXIX
  40. Chapter 45XL
  41. Chapter 46XLI
  42. Chapter 47XLII Which treats of what further took place in the inn, and of several other things worth knowing.
  43. Chapter 48Chapter XLIII
  44. Chapter 49Chapter XLIV
  45. Chapter 50In which the doubtful question of Mambrino's helmet and the packsaddle is finally settled, with other adventures that occurred in truth and earnest
  46. Chapter 51Of the end of the notable adventure of the officers of the holy brotherhood; and of the great ferocity of our worthy knight, Don Quixote
  47. Chapter 52Of the strange manner in which Don Quixote of La Mancha was carried away enchanted, together with other remarkable incidents
  48. Chapter 53XLVIII
  49. Chapter 54XLIX
  50. Chapter 55Of the shrewd controversy which Don Quixote and the canon held, together with other incidents.
  51. Chapter 56LI
  52. Chapter 57LII
  53. Chapter 58Dedication
  54. Chapter 59I
  55. Chapter 60II
  56. Chapter 61Of the laughable conversation that passed between Don Quixote, Sancho Panza, and the bachelor Samson Carrasco
  57. Chapter 62IV In which Sancho Panza gives a satisfactory reply to the doubts and questions of the bachelor Samson Carrasco, together with other matters worth knowing and telling.
  58. Chapter 63Of the shrewd and droll conversation that passed between Sancho Panza and his wife Teresa Panza, and other matters worthy of being duly recorded
  59. Chapter 64Of what took place between Don Quixote and his niece and housekeeper; one of the most important chapters in the whole history.
  60. Chapter 65VII
  61. Chapter 66Wherein is related what befell Don Quixote on his way to see his lady Dulcinea del Toboso
  62. Chapter 67Chapter IX
  63. Chapter 68Wherein is related the crafty device Sancho adopted to enchant the lady Dulcinea, and other incidents as ludicrous as they are true
  64. Chapter 69Of the strange adventure which the valiant Don Quixote had with the car or cart of the Cortes of Death
  65. Chapter 70Of the strange adventure which befell the valiant Don Quixote with the bold Knight of the Mirrors
  66. Chapter 71XIII
  67. Chapter 72Wherein is continued the adventure of the Knight of the Grove
  68. Chapter 73XV
  69. Chapter 74XVI
  70. Chapter 75Wherein is shown the furthest and highest point which the unexampled courage of Don Quixote reached or could reach; together with the happily achieved adventure of the lions.
  71. Chapter 76Of what happened Don Quixote in the castle or house of the Knight of the Green Gabán, together with other matters out of the common
  72. Chapter 77In which is related the adventure of the enamoured shepherd, together with other truly droll incidents.
  73. Chapter 78Wherein an account is given of the wedding of Camacho the Rich, together with the incident of Basilio the Poor
  74. Chapter 79XXI
  75. Chapter 80XXII Wherin is related the grand adventure of the Cave of Montesinos in the heart of La Mancha, which the valiant Don Quixote brought to a happy termination.
  76. Chapter 81Of the wonderful things the incomparable Don Quixote said he saw in the profound Cave of Montesinos, the impossibility and magnitude of which cause this adventure to be deemed apocryphal
  77. Chapter 82Wherein are related a thousand trifling matters, as trivial as they are necessary to the right understanding of this great history
  78. Chapter 83Chapter XXV
  79. Chapter 84Chapter XXVI
  80. Chapter 85Wherein it is shown who Master Pedro and his ape were, together with the mishap Don Quixote had in the braying adventure, which he did not conclude as he would have liked or as he had expected.
  81. Chapter 86Chapter XXVIII
  82. Chapter 87Of the famous adventure of the enchanted bark
  83. Chapter 88Of Don Quixote’s adventure with a fair huntress
  84. Chapter 89XXXI Which treats of many and great matters
  85. Chapter 90Of the reply Don Quixote gave his censurer, with other incidents, grave and droll
  86. Chapter 91XXXIII
  87. Chapter 92XXXIV Which relates how they learned the way in which they were to disenchant the peerless Dulcinea del Toboso, which is one of the rarest adventures in this book.
  88. Chapter 93Wherein is continued the instruction given to Don Quixote touching the disenchantment of Dulcinea, together with other marvellous incidents
  89. Chapter 94Wherein is related the strange and undreamt-of adventure of the distressed Duenna, alias the countess Trifaldi, together with a letter which Sancho Panza wrote to his wife, Teresa Panza.
  90. Chapter 95Wherein is continued the notable adventure of the distressed Duenna
  91. Chapter 96XXXVIII
  92. Chapter 97XXXIX
  93. Chapter 98XL
  94. Chapter 99Of the arrival of Clavileño and the end of this protracted adventure
  95. Chapter 100XLII
  96. Chapter 101Of the second set of counsels Don Quixote gave Sancho Panza
  97. Chapter 102XLIV
  98. Chapter 103Of how the great Sancho Panza took possession of his island, and of how he made a beginning in governing.
  99. Chapter 104Of the terrible bell and cat fright that Don Quixote got in the course of the enamoured Altisidora's wooing
  100. Chapter 105XLVII
  101. Chapter 106Of what befell Don Quixote with Doña Rodriguez, the duchess’s Duenna, together with other occurrences worthy of record and eternal remembrance
  102. Chapter 107Of what happened Sancho in making the round of his island
  103. Chapter 108Chapter L
  104. Chapter 109Chapter LI
  105. Chapter 110Wherein is related the adventure of the second distressed or afflicted Duenna, otherwise called Doña Rodriguez
  106. Chapter 111Of the troublous end and termination Sancho Panza's government came to.
  107. Chapter 112LIV
  108. Chapter 113Of what befell Sancho on the road, and other things that cannot be surpassed
  109. Chapter 114Of the prodigious and unparalleled battle that took place between Don Quixote of La Mancha and the Lackey Tosilos in defence of the daughter of Doña Rodriguez
  110. Chapter 115LVII Which treats of how Don Quixote took leave of the duke, and of what followed with the witty and impudent Altisidora, one of the duchess’s damsels.
  111. Chapter 116Which tells how adventures came crowding on Don Quixote in such numbers that they gave one another no breathing-time.
  112. Chapter 117Chapter LIX
  113. Chapter 118LX
  114. Chapter 119Of what happened Don Quixote on entering Barcelona, together with other matters that partake of the true rather than of the ingenious
  115. Chapter 120LXII Which deals with the adventure of the enchanted head, together with other trivial matters which cannot be left untold.
  116. Chapter 121Of the mishap that befell Sancho Panza through the visit to the galleys, and the strange adventure of the fair Morisco
  117. Chapter 122LXIV
  118. Chapter 123Wherein is made known who the Knight of the White Moon was; likewise Don Gregorio's release, and other events
  119. Chapter 124Which treats of what he who reads will see, or what he who has it read to him will hear
  120. Chapter 125Of the resolution Don Quixote formed to turn shepherd and take to a life in the fields while the year for which he had given his word was running its course; with other events truly delectable and happy.
  121. Chapter 126Of the bristly adventure that befell Don Quixote
  122. Chapter 127Chapter LXIX
  123. Chapter 128LXX
  124. Chapter 129Of what passed between Don Quixote and his squire Sancho on the way to their village
  125. Chapter 130Of how Don Quixote and Sancho reached their village
  126. Chapter 131Of the omens Don Quixote had as he entered his own village, and other incidents that embellish and give a colour to this great history
  127. Chapter 132LXXIV: Of how Don Quixote fell sick, and of the will he made, and how he died
  128. Chapter 133Endnotes