Don Quixote, Part 2, Chapter 45 summary

What happens

1. Sancho receives a ceremonial welcome in Barataria, takes the governor’s seat, and rejects the title Don.
2. A farmer demands compensation for cloth made into five tiny caps; Sancho denies both men payment and assigns the caps to prisoners.
3. Sancho notices a debtor pass his cane to his creditor during an oath and discovers the borrowed gold hidden inside.
4. A woman accuses a swineherd of forcing her, while he says their encounter involves payment and consent.
5. Sancho tests her defense of the swineherd’s purse, dismisses her accusation, returns his money, and orders her away.
6. The chronicler sends the duke an account, and the narrator turns attention toward Sancho’s master and Altisidora’s music.

In this chapter

What to notice

Sancho stakes his fitness to govern on his deduction about the cane. The discovery supports his judgment and surprises those watching.

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