Don Quixote

5RR Miguel de Cervantes, illustrated by Gustave Doré. London, ca 1880.   Notes Don Quixote, written by Miguel de Cervantes, is one of the most important works in Western literature, first published in two parts in 1605 and 1615. The novel follows the adventures of a man named Alonso Quixano, who, inspired by tales of chivalry and knight-errantry, adopts the name "Don Quixote" and sets out on a series of misadventures, believing himself to be a noble knight. Accompanied by his loyal squire, Sancho Panza, he embarks on a quest to revive chivalric values and defend the helpless, often seeing the world through a distorted lens that leads to comical and sometimes tragic situations. The inspiration for Don Quixote stemmed from Miguel de Cervantes' own experiences and his observations of the changing world of the early 17th century. At the time, the chivalric tradition, once a popular genre in literature, had become outdated and was largely seen as naive and impractical. Cervantes, aware of t