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Part 2, Chapter 36
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Don Quixote, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Truth and Lies
Literature, Realism, and Idealism
Madness and Sanity
Intention and Consequence
Self-Invention, Class Identity, and Social Change
Summary
Analysis
Sancho does not want Quixote to take on this quest, because he is suspicious of duennas in general. Doña Rodríguez responds that squires in general are likewise the enemies of duennas, who are virtuous and downtrodden. Suddenly they hear a fife and drum announcing the arrival of the Dolorous Duenna herself.
Sancho’s inexplicable hatred of duennas seems to be nothing more than comic relief. It also adds to the class tensions of these episodes – especially the false friendship of the royal couple.
Themes
