Don Quijote II

In Chapter 11 Don Quijote talks about the “golden ages” and the creation of knights to protect the purity of the virgins. This both relates to the overarching theme of chivalry and myth. On one hand we have this notion that knights were created for the protection of these virgins, a chivalrous act, and other the other hand the the “myth” that that's what knights actually do. This “truth” that Don Quijote sees in knighthood is perhaps a reflection of what he feels knights are supposed to do and how they are supposed to act when in reality we know this isn't true. Maybe he thinks he can restore knighthood somehow, kind of like Perceval?

This same sort of “false impression” of knighthood is seen when he speaks to Vivaldi in Chapter 13. While Don Quijote insists that knights “execute the will of God.” While it's probably more truthful to say that knights execute the will of Kings or perhaps even their own wills. Again we see this myth of what knighthood is supposed to be versus what it actually is. The idea that Don Quijote refuses to believe that knights are “bad” is part of his “insanity.” He's created this image, or this myth of knighthood and refuses to see it any other way. Perhaps we should say his principles of knighthood are far more moral that the actual actions of most knights and since he knows his principles are good and moral he tries to insist “knights like him” are the same.