In chapter 22, of Don Quijote, our mad knight found a band of criminals that were chained together and being led by a group of the kings guards. The guilty criminals were being taken to the galleys to serve their time, which was prescribed by their judges. The knight of La Mancha, thinking that the criminals were being unjustly punished, took it into his mind to free the poor "gentlemen." After freeing the wicked men, he called them together and the following ensued:
"What I should like you to do in return is to take these chains, which I have struck from around your necks, and proceed at once to the city of Toboso, there to present yourselves before Lady Dulcinea del Toboso and inform her that her knight, the Knight of the Sad Face, sent you there with his greetings, in order that you might tell her, blow by blow, everything which took place during this famous adventure, up to the point where you recovered your longed for freedom..." said Don Quijote.
The newly released criminals would not comply with the their crazy liberator, but instead, they began to throw such a storm of rocks at Don Quijote that he didn't have enough hands to cover himself with his shield... Don Quijote could not readily take shelter, and God alone knows how many stones struck against his body, thudding down so overwhelmingly that they swept him to the ground...
I think that Don Quijote was an idiot. He wanted to please his king, country, and lady. So, he freed criminals, which maked his country more dangerous, and got him in trouble with the king. Then, he wanted the convicted culprits to pay homage to his lady, and tell her about how he, alone, had freed the evildoers. That was a lie. Pancho helped free some of the convicts, and then the criminals did most of the work of freeing themselves. Why in the world would Don Quijote want to show his lady how he broke the law and rescued a band of outlaws? I understand that he thought the chained men were being wrongly treated, but the imperial guards told him that the chained men were convicted by His Majesty, the king. If Don Quuijote really wanted to please his king, that should have been enough for him. He was seriously wrong in the head. I think he deserved to get stoned by the outlaws. He was being stupid, thinking that he was going to get the convicts to listen to him.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Don Quijote
In Cervantes' Don Quijote, Don is in an argument, saying that all knights errant should have a lady, to whom they are in love with.
"I hereby affirm that there cannot be a knight errant who has no lady, because it is as fitting and natural for them to be in love as it is for the sky to have stars, and I know perfectly well I have never seen the history of a knight errant which shows him without love affairs, which is exactly the reason, too, that were they in fact without a lady, no one would believe they were legitimate knights, but just bastard ones, who hadn't gotten into the stronghold of knighthood through the doorway but by climbing over the wall like a highwayman or a thief."
I, for one, do not agree with Don Quijote at all. I believe that some knights, may be so caught up with activities of knighthood, carrying out quests, and the like, that they do not have time to fall in love. Although, in most fiction novels of chivalrous knights, the knight eventually falls in love and lives happily-ever-after with his lady, that did not, and does not always happen in reality. In fact, many men, whether they are knights errant, or just good honest men, go through life, working hard, and never even think about girls or love.
PS: The green highlight is the series.
"I hereby affirm that there cannot be a knight errant who has no lady, because it is as fitting and natural for them to be in love as it is for the sky to have stars, and I know perfectly well I have never seen the history of a knight errant which shows him without love affairs, which is exactly the reason, too, that were they in fact without a lady, no one would believe they were legitimate knights, but just bastard ones, who hadn't gotten into the stronghold of knighthood through the doorway but by climbing over the wall like a highwayman or a thief."
I, for one, do not agree with Don Quijote at all. I believe that some knights, may be so caught up with activities of knighthood, carrying out quests, and the like, that they do not have time to fall in love. Although, in most fiction novels of chivalrous knights, the knight eventually falls in love and lives happily-ever-after with his lady, that did not, and does not always happen in reality. In fact, many men, whether they are knights errant, or just good honest men, go through life, working hard, and never even think about girls or love.
PS: The green highlight is the series.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Captain from Castile
The proceeding paragraph is from "Captain From Castile," by Samuel Shellabarger, chapter19, as Pedro's sister has been strapped to the garrucha or strappado:
Every nerve in Pedro's body writhed. He was vaguely conscious of his mother's weeping, of de Silva's smile, of his father's haggard face, of the judges leaning forward, of the clerk sitting with his poised quill. He looked here and there in spite of himself, his eyes trying to escape.
Came a thin, sharp scream.
If I had to sit, chained to a chair and watch my beloved little sister, get tortured on a rack, I would be writhing and trying not to watch too, because my heart would be broken and I could not watch my most loved friend be tortured and not be able to do anything. I would also be praying that the horrible torturers would get punished, and that my sister would be delivered quickly from her pain.
Every nerve in Pedro's body writhed. He was vaguely conscious of his mother's weeping, of de Silva's smile, of his father's haggard face, of the judges leaning forward, of the clerk sitting with his poised quill. He looked here and there in spite of himself, his eyes trying to escape.
Came a thin, sharp scream.
If I had to sit, chained to a chair and watch my beloved little sister, get tortured on a rack, I would be writhing and trying not to watch too, because my heart would be broken and I could not watch my most loved friend be tortured and not be able to do anything. I would also be praying that the horrible torturers would get punished, and that my sister would be delivered quickly from her pain.
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