Legends Heroes and Oral Traditions

Legends Stories that have long histories – Have been written and rewritten or told and retold Come from an oral tradition – Literature passed from generation to generation by word of mouth

Legends Based on historical figures such as saints or kings and involve few supernatural elements – King Arthur – Robin Hood Involve elements of chivalric romance

The Legendary Hero Main character Good deeds and noble character allow the hero to defeat all enemies Sets out on a journey or quest A test or series of tests reveal the hero’s worth

Don Quixote Written by Miguel de Cervantes in 1605 Cervantes combines several genres into one. His initial purpose: to satirize the romances of chivalry, to create a parody of a literary type characterized by supernatural deeds of valor, implausible & complicated adventures, duels, and enchantments.

Chivalric Romance The literature that had expressed the medieval spirit of chivalry and romance had degenerated by Cervantes’ time. His method of showing the inherent silliness of chivalric romances: ‘to show what extraordinary consequences they would lead a man insanely infatuated with them, once this man set out to live ‘now’ according to their patterns of action and belief.’

Don Quixote The hero, Don Quixote, dons the mask of a chivalric knight to make his life more interesting and bearable. We can see the influence of Greek comedy on this novel: a crazy idea is proposed, and the rest of the story concerns its working out in the real world. The humor lies in the contrast between Don Quixote’s ideals and the real world around him.

Reality Don Quixote is not a knight but an impoverished country landowner. His ideals: love as ‘service,’ adventurousness, loyalty to valor and generosity. Tries to seek out wrongs and right them, to help those in need, to be full of valor in honor of his Lady (courtly love). Like Greek heroes, he wants his great deeds to be sung. Don Quixote: a wandering hero His insanity: caused by reading too many books about chivalry (literature corrupts)