List of characters in Don Quixote
Encyclopedia
The following is a partial list of characters
in the novel Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the novel Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was a Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright. His magnum opus, Don Quixote, considered the first modern novel, is a classic of Western literature, and is regarded amongst the best works of fiction ever written...
.
The two main characters
- Don Quixote, a SpanishSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
gentlemanHidalgo (Spanish nobility)A hidalgo or fidalgo is a member of the Spanish and Portuguese nobility. In popular usage it has come to mean the non-titled nobility. Hidalgos were exempt from paying taxes, but did not necessarily own real property...
of La ManchaLa ManchaLa Mancha is a natural and historical region or greater comarca located on an arid, fertile, elevated plateau of central Spain, south of Madrid, stretching between the Montes de Toledo and the western spurs of the Serrania de Cuenca. It is bounded on the south by the Sierra Morena and on the north...
Alonso Quijano (or Quesada, or Quijada), who believes himself and acts as a knight-errantKnight-errantA knight-errant is a figure of medieval chivalric romance literature. "Errant," meaning wandering or roving, indicates how the knight-errant would typically wander the land in search of adventures to prove himself as a knight, such as in a pas d'armes.The first known appearance of the term...
as described in various medievalMiddle AgesThe Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
books of chivalryChivalryChivalry is a term related to the medieval institution of knighthood which has an aristocratic military origin of individual training and service to others. Chivalry was also the term used to refer to a group of mounted men-at-arms as well as to martial valour...
, riding his horse RocinanteRocinanteRocinante is the name of Don Quixote's horse, in the novel Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes.-Etymology: in Spanish means work-horse or low-quality horse , but also illiterate or rough man. There are similar words in French , Portuguese and Italian . The etymology is uncertain. The name is,...
. - Sancho PanzaSancho PanzaSancho Panza is a fictional character in the novel Don Quixote written by Spanish author Don Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra in 1605. Sancho acts as squire to Don Quixote, and provides comments throughout the novel, known as sanchismos, that are a combination of broad humour, ironic Spanish proverbs,...
(or Zancas), Don Quijote's squire. He is uneducated and unable to read, but he knows numerous proverbs and rides a donkey named Rucio ("Dapple").
Others
- Antonia, Alonso Quijano's niece, a woman under twenty; she urges both the curate and the barber to burn all of Alonso's books
- Antonio, a goatherd, who plays a song for Don Quixote on the rebecRebecThe rebecha is a bowed string musical instrument. In its most common form, it has a narrow boat-shaped body and 1-5 strings and is played on the arm or under the chin, like a violin.- Origins :The rebec dates back to the Middle Ages and was particularly popular in the 15th and 16th centuries...
(in Book I, Chapter 11) - Avellaneda, author of the false Second Part of Don Quixote who is frequently referred to in Cervantes' second part.
- Cardenio, an honorable young man who dwells in misery and madness in Sierra MorenaSierra MorenaThe Sierra Morena is one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain.It stretches for 400 kilometres East-West across southern Spain, forming the southern border of the Meseta Central plateau of the Iberian Peninsula, and providing the watershed between the valleys of the Guadiana to the...
, driven there by the apparent infidelity of his wife Lucinda and the treachery of Duke Ferdinand (Fernando). Shakespeare's lost play The History of Cardenio may have been based on his story. - Ferdinand (Fernando), a young and reckless nobleman, who promises to marry Dorothea, but leaves her and instead takes Lucinda from Cardenio, but eventually repents, returns Lucinda to Cardenio and marries Dorothea.
- Dorotea (Dorothea), a modest young woman, whom Ferdinand promises to marry and then leaves. She remains loyal to Ferdinand despite his reckless behavior. Pretended to be Princess Micomicona to get Don Quixote to leave the mountains.
- Cide Hamete Benengeli is the fictional MoorishMoorsThe description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
author created by Cervantes and listed as the chronicler of the adventures of Don Quixote. Cide is a title like sir, which means My Lord, Hamete is the Spanish version of the arabic name Hamed, which means he who praises, and Benengeli is a comical invention of Cervantes that suggests aubergine-eater via the Spanish berenjena or aubergine, popularly considered to be the favorite food of the people of Toledo at the time of the novel. - Friston the magician (El Sabio Frestón), an imaginary character who Quixote imagines as the thief of his books and the enchanter of the windmills.
- DulcineaDulcinea"Dulcinea del Toboso" is a fictional character who is referred to in Miguel de Cervantes' novel Don Quixote. Seeking the traditions of the knights-errant of old, Don Quixote finds a true love whom he calls Dulcinea. She is a simple peasant in his home town, but Quixote imagines her to be the most...
of El TobosoEl TobosoEl Toboso is a town and municipality located in the province of Toledo, central Spain. According to the 2009 data, El Toboso has a total population of 2,219 inhabitants...
, the woman Don Quixote fancies his lady love; her real name is Aldonza Lorenzo - Ginés de PasamonteGinés de PasamonteGinés de Pasamonte is a fictional character in Miguel de Cervantes' novel Don Quixote.Ginés first appears as a criminal freed by Don Quixote in the 22nd chapter of the first part of the novel. After his release, he escapes Don Quixote and the guards...
a.k.a. Ginesillo de Parapilla, a criminal freed by Don Quixote. He later reappears as Maese Pedro, a puppet-showman who claims that he can talk to his monkey. - Grisóstomo, a shepherd who dies of a broken heart after his declaration of love is spurned by Marcela, a wealthy orphan girl who dresses as a shepherdess and lives in the woods to commune with nature, and whose beauty attracts dozens of suitors.
- Ambrosio, a shepherd, friend of Grisóstomo.
- Vivaldo, a shepherd who saves Grisóstomo's poems of unrequited love from the fire
- Juan Haldudo, a peasant, and Andres (Andrés), his mistreated servant.
- Maritornes, an ugly, but kind-hearted servant at an inn in which Don Quixote and Sancho spend the night. She is unwittingly involved in a brawl in the middle of the night when Don Quixote mistakes her for the innkeeper's daughter, whom he believes is in love with him.
- Montesinos and Durandarte, heroes whom Quixote claims to have seen when he descended into a cave.
- Nicholas the barber (Maese Nicolás), Don Quixote's friend
- Pedro Alonso, a neighbor of Quixote.
- Pedro Perez the priest, who, along with Antonia, orders nearly all of Don Quixote's books burnt in hopes of curing him of his delusions (I:6)
- RicoteRicote (Don Quixote)----Ricote is a fictional character who is referred to in Miguel de Cervantes' novel Don Quixote. He was a wealthy Morisco shopkeeper and old friend of Sancho Panza, banned from Spain in 1609 like all Moriscoes....
, a MoriscoMoriscoMoriscos or Mouriscos , meaning "Moorish", were the converted Christian inhabitants of Spain and Portugal of Muslim heritage. Over time the term was used in a pejorative sense applied to those nominal Catholics who were suspected of secretly practicing Islam.-Demographics:By the beginning of the...
friend of Sancho, banned from Spain, but returned as a German pilgrim. Father of Ana Félix, a fervent Christian maid, who separately returns from Berbery to Spain. - Teresa (also named Juana or Joana) Panza and Sanchica, wife and daughter of Sancho
- Bachelor Sansón Carrasco, Don Quixote's friend who jousts with him disguised as a rival knight, in an effort to get him to return home.
- Don Sancho de Azpeitia, a BiscayBiscayBiscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...
ane squire who cuts part of Don Quixote's ear off in a swordfight (I:9) - Ruy Perez, a Spanish sailor who was held captive by the moors and escaped back to Spain with the help of Zoraida, also called Maria, a Moorish young lady who decided to convert to Christianity.
- Juan Pérez de Viedma, the brother of Ruy Perez; Clara de Viedma, the daughter of Juan Pérez; Don Luis, a young man in love with Clara de Viedma
- Tom Cecial (Tomé Cecial), a neighbor of Sancho and the squire of Sansón Carrasco, when he is disguised as "The Knight of the Mirrors".
- Don Diego de Miranda, a learned hidalgo who hosts Quixote and Sancho at his home; Don Lorenzo, his son, an aspiring poet.
- Altisidora, a young woman in the court of the Duchess, who pretends that she loves Quixote.
- Doña Rodriguez de Grijalba, a duenna in the court of the Duchess; Tosilos, a lackey sent by the Duchess to fight with Quixote
- Roque Guinart, a fictional version of the Catalan bandit Perot Rocaguinarda.
- Don Antonio Moreno, Quixote's host in Barcelona.
- Lothario, Anselmo, Camilla and Leonela are characters in "The Ill-Advised Curiosity", a story embedded in the first volume of Quixote.
Unnamed but important characters
- The Duke and The Duchess, a couple of AragonAragonAragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
ese aristocrats who invite Don Quixote and Sancho to their castle, where they "amuse" themselves by playing all sorts of humiliating pranks on them. - Don Quixote's housekeeper, who carries out the book-burning with alacrity and relish.
- The innkeeper who puts Don Quixote up for the night and agrees to dub him a "knight," partly in jest and partly to get Don Quixote out of his inn more quickly.