During Cervantes' time, the Spanish Catholic Church saw itself as challenged on all sides. After expelling all Jews who would not convert to Catholicism in 1492, the Spanish crown then became concerned that perhaps some of the conversions were not genuine and that some Jewish converts were still secretly practicing Judaism (1). Part of the Crown's concerns may have stemmed from the fact that part of what eventually became Spain was conquered by the Ottoman Empire, introducing Islam to the area. In addition the Reformation was spreading. Some Spanish people had converted to the Lutheran church, and in some European countries, Spanish students were not allowed to enroll in colleges (1). It was a time when many religions all took the posture that their religion was the only one and true one, and that others must be forced to join that church. The Inquisition was actually established by the Throne and not by the Church, at first to ferret out those who had not made a true conversion, and later to judge and punish sins of various sorts. The church maintained its established hierarchy of Pope, Archbishops, and Bishops, but delegated much of the Inquisition to the Crown. The Church interpreted theology and law, but left punishment of those judged false converts or sinners to the Crown, as the church was not allowed to shed blood. Torture was not used as a punishment, but was often used as part of the investigative process. Very often...

The Kafka-esque absurdity of these events may have been part of Cervantes' point as he placed his hero in increasingly absurd and irrational scenarios.
Throughout the two volumes, Cervantes reveals life of the day, including the idea that some people were threatened by new ideas emerging from the Renaissance. Just as the Inquisition authorized book burnings, Quixano's friends dispose of nearly all his books, believing that reading those books fueled his madness.

Eventually Quixano comes to believe this. When he finally returns home, he takes a practical joke literally and believes that if Sancho will only whip himself 3,300 times, Dulcinea will return to him. Sancho fakes the whipping, but Quixote believes he has actually done the deed. His despair over the loss of Dulcinea jolts him back to reality, but he dies soon after.

In Don Quixote, Cervantes weaves an elaborate tale that incorporates all segments of Spanish society along with political events of the day. Like Quixano, they are presented as something other than what they really are.

Bibliography

Lemieux, Simonl 2002. "The Spanish Inquisition: Simon Lemieux examines the hard facts about the Inquisition and counters the common caricature."…