Don Quixote
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
Contains spoilers for the entire book.
Discussion topics
Topic 01 of 08
A knight from books
What leads an elderly gentleman to become Don Quixote, and do you see him as mad?
Keep the conversation going
- What did you make of the burning of his library by the priest and the barber?
- Is there something admirable in his refusal to accept the world as it is?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.
Discussion topics
What leads an elderly gentleman to become Don Quixote, and do you see him as mad?
Keep the conversation going
- What did you make of the burning of his library by the priest and the barber?
- Is there something admirable in his refusal to accept the world as it is?
Why does Sancho follow Don Quixote, and why does he stay?
Keep the conversation going
- How does Sancho change over the two parts of the book?
- What does his governorship of the 'island' show about him?
What makes the attack on the windmills such a lasting image?
Keep the conversation going
- Which of Don Quixote's adventures did you find funniest, and which saddest?
- Is the book mocking him, or does it love him?
Who is Dulcinea del Toboso, and why does Don Quixote need her?
Keep the conversation going
- What did you make of Sancho's trick of the 'enchanted' Dulcinea?
- Is his love for an imagined lady foolish or noble?
Why does Cervantes fill the first part with tales told by other characters?
Keep the conversation going
- Which of these inserted stories stayed with you?
- How do they compare to Don Quixote's own story?
How does the second part change when the characters have read the first?
Keep the conversation going
- What did you make of the Duke and Duchess and their cruel games?
- Why does the false sequel by another author matter to Don Quixote?
Why does Don Quixote accept his defeat by the Knight of the White Moon?
Keep the conversation going
- How did you feel when you learned who the knight was?
- Was Sansón Carrasco right to do what he did?
How did you feel when he renounced his books of chivalry on his deathbed?
Keep the conversation going
- Why does Sancho beg him to set out again?
- What does the book finally say about the line between illusion and reality?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.