Don Quixote, Part 2, Chapter 35 summary
Part 2, Chapter 35 of 129 · Part 1 · 11 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 35, a figure calling himself Merlin declares that Dulcinea can regain her former appearance only if Sancho gives himself three thousand three hundred lashes. Sancho resists threats and appeals, but accepts after the duke threatens his governorship, setting conditions that leave the timing and severity under his control.
What happens
- A torchlit cart arrives carrying a dazzling young woman and a deathlike figure who identifies himself as Merlin.
- Merlin declares that Sancho must give himself three thousand three hundred lashes to release Dulcinea from enchantment.
- Sancho refuses, and Merlin rules that Don Quixote cannot force him to perform the whipping.
- The woman presented as Dulcinea insults and implores Sancho, while the duke makes his governorship depend on consent.
- Sancho agrees on conditions allowing his own schedule, no required bloodshed, and strokes that merely swish.
- Music and gunfire celebrate his consent, and the duke and duchess return to their castle at dawn, pleased with their joke.
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In this chapter
What to notice
The duke ties Sancho’s desired office to bodily punishment. His threat exposes the pressure beneath the insistence that Sancho must consent freely.
Quick check
Which condition does Sancho place on his agreement to whip himself?
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