One More Lie: The Role of Dulcinea in Don Quixote's Romantic Quest Anonymous College

In Cervantes’ Don Quixote, Don Quixote de la Mancha chooses a woman by the name of Aldonza Lorenza, whom he renamed Dulcinea del Toboso, to be his lady fair and love of his life. After all of this had been decided, only one problem remained in Don Quijote’s love life: Aldonza had no idea about any of this grand scheme and likely had never even met Don Quixote (35). Don Quixote at first appears just as in love with Dulcinea as he is with being a knight errant; however, as his tale continues to unfold, his devotion to his lady seems less sincere and more of a formality to fulfill his delusion.

Don Quixote idolizes Dulcinea as a great lady and his protector. However, she is as much a noblewoman as an inn is a castle—a fact which Don Quixote appears well aware of as the story progresses. Whenever asked about Dulcinea, Don Quixote spews romantic fluff many have come to expect of sickeningly sweet love poems. Don Quixote’s description of her to the goatherds on their way to Grisóstomo’s funeral sounds like a passage straight from a pastoral novel.

“…her name is Dulcinea; her country El Toboso, a village in La Mancha; her degree at least that of Princess, for she is my Queen and mistress; her beauty superhuman, for in her are realized...