Don Quixote, Chapter 72 summary

What happens

1. At the inn, Don Álvaro Tarfe describes different men called Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, and both companions insist on their own identity.
2. Don Quixote obtains Don Álvaro’s formal declaration before the mayor and a notary that he is not the other account’s knight.
3. After leaving the inn, Don Quixote explains his defeat and Dulcinea’s enchantment before Don Álvaro takes a different road.
4. Sancho strikes beech bark instead of his back, while Don Quixote counts the blows and believes the penance progresses.
5. When Sancho finishes his task, Don Quixote watches passing women for signs of Dulcinea’s release.
6. The companions see their village, and Don Quixote urges them home to pursue their pastoral plan.

In this chapter

What to notice

Sancho presents the return as more than military defeat. His words shift attention toward self-command as the companions approach their village.

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