Don Quixote de la Mancha characters

Also known as Alonso Quixano, The Knight of the Sorrowful Face

Appears from the start

An aging country gentleman of La Mancha whose constant reading of romances leads him to believe that their vanished world of knights, giants, and enchanted castles can be restored. He renames himself Don Quixote, repairs an ancestral suit of armor, and sets out to defend the helpless. His courtesy, courage, and moral purpose coexist with a delusion that transforms ordinary people and objects into material for adventure.

Appears from the start

Don Quixote's elderly horse, renamed to suit the heroic identity of his rider. Thin and overworked but treated as a noble warhorse, he carries the knight into each imagined adventure.

Also known as Aldonza Lorenzo

Appears from the start

A farm woman from a nearby village whom Don Quixote has chosen, without her participation, as the noble lady he must serve. He gives her the name Dulcinea and constructs an idealized identity for her from the conventions of chivalric romance.

Appears from the start

The practical woman who manages Don Quixote's household and worries that his books have damaged his judgment. She joins his niece and friends in trying to prevent further expeditions.

Also known as Pero Pérez

First appears in chapter 5

The village priest and an old friend of Don Quixote. Concerned by the gentleman's condition, he brings learning, patience, and a willingness to devise elaborate remedies to the effort to return him safely home.

Also known as Master Nicholas

First appears in chapter 5

The village barber and Don Quixote's friend. He assists the priest and household in dealing with the knight's library and in plans meant to bring the wandering gentleman home.

First appears in chapter 7

A poor farmer and neighbor recruited as Don Quixote's squire by promises that he may govern an island. Earthy, talkative, and guided by appetite and proverbs, he initially sees service as a route to advancement, though his common sense is repeatedly tested by loyalty to his master.

First appears in chapter 16

A servant at an inn whom Don Quixote's imagination places inside a romantic encounter. Her attempt to keep a private meeting in the crowded loft instead triggers a night of confusion and blows among the guests.

Also known as Ginés de Pasamonte

First appears in chapter 22

A clever and defiant convict being marched to the galleys. He claims to be writing the story of his own life and responds to Don Quixote's intervention with opportunism rather than gratitude.

Also known as The Ragged Knight

First appears in chapter 24

A young nobleman living in anguish in the Sierra Morena. His broken account of love, friendship, and betrayal gradually reveals why he has withdrawn from society and why the names Luscinda and Ferdinand overwhelm him.

First appears in chapter 28

A resourceful young woman found in the mountains disguised in men's clothing. Deceived and abandoned after being promised marriage, she seeks a way to restore both her honor and her future and agrees to help the priest draw Don Quixote home.

First appears in chapter 39

A Spanish soldier returning after years of warfare, captivity in Algiers, and a dangerous escape. At the inn he recounts the experiences that brought him home in the company of Zoraida.

Also known as María

First appears in chapter 40

A young Algerian woman who helps the captive Ruy Pérez escape and leaves her home with him. She seeks baptism in Spain and must rely on others to interpret her words and intentions at the inn.

Also known as The Bachelor

First appears in chapter 54

A recently graduated scholar from Don Quixote's village. He brings astonishing news that an account of the knight's earlier adventures has already been printed and widely read, making the travelers conscious of their own public reputations.

First appears in chapter 57

Sancho's wife, who weighs his dreams of office against the needs of their family. Practical and skeptical of social ambition, she nevertheless engages seriously with the possibilities his travels appear to create.

First appears in chapter 82

An aristocratic couple who recognize Don Quixote and Sancho from the published history of their adventures. They welcome the travelers lavishly and use their wealth, household, and knowledge of the book to turn chivalric fantasies into elaborate entertainments.

First appears in chapter 106

Sancho's former neighbor, encountered after being expelled from Spain with other Moriscos. His return in disguise and account of his divided family confront Sancho with the human cost of royal policy.

First appears in chapter 114

A wealthy and sociable gentleman of Barcelona who hosts Don Quixote. He enjoys presenting curiosities and arranging public diversions, while treating his celebrated guest with more restraint than some earlier aristocratic hosts.