THE CHIVALRIC CODE IN DON QUIXOTE & THE IDIOT

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Loresa D. Matarazzo                                                       European Novel 195:352

April 26, 2005                                                               Professor Janet A. Walker

THE CHIVALRIC CODE IN DON QUIXOTE & THE IDIOT

        In Cervantes’ The Idiot, Kolya refers to an earlier discussion about a poem, and exclaims, “There’s nothing better than the poor knight!” (288).  Alluding to Don Quixote, of course, in the ensuing veiled discussion Aglaya submits that the poor knight of whom she is speaking “is Don Quixote, but a serious, not a comical one (291).”  The unspoken name of the “serious Don Quixote” being referred to is, obviously, Prince Myshkin—“a man who is capable of having an ideal,, and…having set himself his ideal, of believing in it,…blindly devoting the whole of his life to it (290).”

        This ideal, in medieval times prescribed the code of behavior for a chivalrous knight.  It included, among others, the requirements that he act honorably, that he is to be virtuous, brave and self-sacrificing and that he is to protect the weak   In both of the novels, Don Quixote and The Idiot, the lives of the main characters are inspired or guided by these chivalrous ideals; however, neither Don Quixote nor Prince Myshkin is able to fully realize those ideals within their respective societies.

        Don Quixote consciously aspires to possess and display all of the above-mentioned attributes.  He deliberately sets out to emulate the knights-errant he has read about in chivalric romances.  Cervantes tells us on page 254 that Don Quixote sat down to “decide whether it would be better…to imitate Orlando in his outrageous frenzies or Amadis in his melancholy moods.”  Further, he is so obsessed with honor and with glory that he does battle with enemies that exist only in his mind (people, windmills and sheep).  Prince Myshkin, on the other hand, is innately honorable, virtuous and selfless.  He naturally sees good in everyone, helps anyone in need without seeking recognition, and would not dream of using violence.  The Prince epitomizes the selfless person.  He is always empathetic to others, and never thinks of himself.  Don Quixote engages in battles to glorify himself, and to prove that he is a brave knight.  His “bravery” has no real connection to defending anyone’s honor, and his fighting does not reflect a selfless act.  He adheres to his chivalric code as a matter of choice, in order to fulfill his self-imposed duties as a knight errant and, thus, live out his fantasy.  The duties that he deliberately imposes upon himself are derived from outside of his personality; they are forced artifice, and are not an innate part of his being.  The Prince, though, does not make a conscious choice to adhere to these chivalric ideals; on the contrary, he is not even aware that he is doing so.  Acting with a pure heart is simply part of his inborn nature, and this is what causes him to act in a chivalrous way.

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In The Idiot, Aglaya continues to describe the “lovesick” knight of the poem:

 “…It’s clear that by now it was all the same to this ‘poor knight’ who his lady was and what she did.  It was enough that he chose her and believed in her ‘pure beauty’, and then worshipped her for ever…that even if later she became a thief, he would still be bound to believe in her and break a lance for her pure beauty.  It seems that the poet wanted to unite in one extreme image the whole enormous concept of medieval chivalrous platonic love in ...

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