Miguel de Cervantes' 'Hero' Concept in Don Quixote The novel Don Quixote, written by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra in 1605 (Volume 1) and 1615 (Volume 2), chronicles the life of Alonzo Quixano, popularly known in his village as Don Quixote. Quixano is a Spanish nobleman who assumes the role of the idealistic and chivalrous Don Quixote to help people who are 'in distress,' or dire need of help. In the novel, Quixano chooses his sidekick in the person of his servant Sancho Panza, labeled as the squire of Don Quixote.

Cervantes' depiction of Don Quixote/Quixano in the novel illustrates how he deviates from the usual characteristics, stereotypes, and image of a hero or a knight, which was a popular image of males during Spain's period of chivalry as a form of 'holy war.' In Don Quixote, the protagonist is portrayed not as a hero that is morally and physically courageous, but is...

Don Quixote is the anti-thesis of the usual literary hero, and just because of his desire to be a knight, he goes beyond reality, where he imagines enemies in the person of his friends and good people, while befriending and helping people who are offenders and conduct illegal activities.
Cervantes, in effect, illustrates Don Quixote as a man with two personalities, i.e., the nobleman Quixano of the real world, and the brave and ambitious Don Quixote of his (Quixano) fantasies. Don Quixote's comic-like heroism and double personality is the most distinct element that makes the story interesting, especially since Don Quixote draws his courage and strength from his "fantasies" of helping out people in 'distress' as their 'knight.'

In line with this, Cervantes' Don Quixote can be studied using a character analysis of Don Quixote, where the protagonist is used to analyze Cervantes purpose in portraying Don…