Convenient Cohort to Unlikely Friend: Sancho Panza's Transformation Anonymous College

When Sancho Panza is first introduced, he seems to be a greedy, gluttonous simpleton only along for the ride to get away from his family and make a little money while he was at it (67). However, over the course of his sallies with Don Quixote, he develops into a rounded character and friend of the great knight errant. Sancho first appears to simply be added comic relief for Don Quixote’s flashes of wisdom and seriousness, much like a court jester (Close). The mishaps that befall him such as the blanket tossing and the scaring of his donkey by the actor are similar to the ‘pranks’ that were told to have been played on court jesters of Golden Age literature (131, 535-536, Close). This behavior can also be seen with the Duchess’ treatment of Sancho while he and his master stay with she and her husband. “The Duchess was dying with laughter at Sancho’s remarks, considering him madder and more entertaining than his master; and there were many at that time who shared her opinion” (677). She sees Sancho as mere entertainment, the manifestation of the character she had read of there for her own amusement. This is how Sancho is originally perceived before his adventures change him into something much more.

Initially, Sancho quickly sets...