Don Quixote, Part 2, Chapter 32 summary
Part 2, Chapter 32 of 129 · Part 1 · 22 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 32, Don Quixote defends his calling against a clergyman, and the duke grants Sancho Panza an island government while household servants turn hospitality into practical jokes. Questions about Dulcinea prompt further defenses of enchantment and noble virtue, while Sancho resists humiliating treatment and gains the duchess’s protection.
What happens
- Don Quixote answers the clergyman’s criticism, and the duke grants Sancho an island government, prompting the clergyman to leave.
- Don Quixote distinguishes insult from dishonor and denies that the clergyman’s words injure his honor.
- Four maids soap Don Quixote’s face as a prank, and the duke undergoes the same washing to conceal it.
- The duke and duchess question Dulcinea’s existence and birth, while Don Quixote attributes contradictory accounts to enchantment.
- Don Quixote praises Sancho’s mixed wisdom and simplicity and considers his fitness to govern.
- Sancho rejects washing with dirty kitchen equipment; the duchess dismisses his tormentors and invites him to spend the afternoon with her.
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In this chapter
What to notice
Sancho recognizes humiliation beneath the claim of hospitality. His protest contrasts with Don Quixote’s acceptance of the earlier washing ceremony.
Quick check
Why does the duke have his own beard washed?
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