Don Quixote, Part 2, Chapter 23 summary
Part 2, Chapter 23 of 129 · Part 1 · 16 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 23, Don Quixote describes an enchanted palace beneath the cave, where Montesinos shows him grieving knights, ladies, and Dulcinea, whose companion asks him for money. Sancho rejects the account, recognizing his own invented enchantment in it, while Don Quixote insists that his senses prove its truth.
What happens
- Don Quixote says he falls asleep on a coil of rope and wakes in a meadow beside a crystal palace.
- Montesinos welcomes him and shows him Durandarte, who speaks despite having his heart removed after death.
- Montesinos explains the enchantments and identifies Belerma, who carries Durandarte’s preserved heart in a mourning procession.
- Don Quixote claims three days underground, but Sancho says his absence lasts only a little over an hour.
- The reported appearance of Dulcinea convinces Sancho that his master’s account incorporates Sancho’s own invented enchantment.
- Don Quixote describes giving Dulcinea’s companion four reals and rejects Sancho’s pleas to distrust his visions.
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In this chapter
What to notice
Don Quixote makes personal sensation the basis of his certainty. This directly opposes Sancho’s suggestion that enchantment plants the account in his memory.
Quick check
How much money does Don Quixote say he gives Dulcinea’s companion?
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