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The novel Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes can be described as a parody of chivalric romances. The main character is a man about fifty years old, of a strong complexion, dry flesh, and a withered face, who imagines himself a knight and calls himself Don Quixote (Cervantes 19). The novels first part depicts Don Quixotes first exploits as a knight and his wanderings with his squire, Sancho Panza. Like a true knight, Don Quixote strives to perform brave and heroic deeds to earn the recognition and love of a girl the protagonist calls Dulcinea del Toboso. However, all the trials that Don Quixote faces turn out to be comical, and the danger is mainly created by the protagonists imagination.
The main character often perceives things not as they are. Because of this, some people think he is crazy and laugh at him, while others try to help him. For example, the inn keeper prefers to play with Don Quixote, who believes that he has come to the castle (Cervantes 28). In addition, he tries to explain that despite his knighthood, the protagonist must behave under certain social norms, such as paying for services rendered to him.
However, the main problem of Don Quixote is that his actions seem brave only to him. To the average person, the protagonists behavior seems inadequate when, for example, he fights windmills that appear to him to be giants (Cervantes 65) or attacks a herd of sheep (Cervantes 40). Don Quixote realizes that he cannot be considered a real knight until other people recognize him. However, when people meet Don Quixote, they see only a distraught man in old armor in him.
All the actions of Don Quixote are somehow aimed at helping people. In this, this character is similar to Hamlet because they are both obsessed with the idea of defeating the evil of the world. For example, Hamlet says that The time is out of joint. O cursèd spite That ever I was born to set it right (Shakespeare). That is, both characters personally decide to take on the heavy burden of fighting evil and helping people. However, unlike Don Quixote, who treats all his exploits as adventures and almost always seems optimistic, Hamlet is a more dramatic character. He curses the world for the burdens on his shoulders and often feels sorry for himself.
Moreover, it can be seen that Hamlet is a very selfish character who is only concerned about his own experiences and grief. On the other hand, Don Quixote does not have such selfishness; for example, he saves a boy who was beaten by a man (Cervantes 40). In addition, in their actions, both characters do not need outside help, but they are surrounded by people who treat them with contempt, or vice versa, and are ready to sympathize and help.
The essential difference between Don Quixote and Hamlet is their relationship with women. Don Quixote idealizes Dulcinea del Toboso and performs many of his exploits in the name of his love to earn the recognition of a woman. However, his love is so idealized that the character does not even realize that the woman he imagined does not exist. His love for Dulcinea is as much a fantasy as his chosen one and comes from the assertion that every knight should have his lady. On the other hand, Hamlets feelings toward Ophelia are very confusing. Hamlet says: I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers Could not with all their quantity of love (Shakespeare). However, most of his monologues focus not on his love for Ophelia or the suffering of love but on the difficulties of his life. Furthermore, even before his death, Hamlet does not remember Ophelia, suggesting that a womans presence did not matter much to him.
Thus, the characters of Hamlet and Don Quixote come down in their intention to overcome evil and the pursuit of fictitious ideals. However, their key characteristics as knights are pretty different. While Don Quixotes activity is directed at people, and Dulcinea, in particular, Hamlet is very selfish and self-centered and mourns his misfortune much more than the feelings of others.
Works Cited
De Cervantes, Miguel. Don Quixote of the Mancha. The Collier Press, New York, 1909.
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark. Simon & Shuster, 2012. Folger Shakespeare Library, Web.
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