Don Quixote Part II - Chapters LXXI-LXXIV and the Novel's Conclusion

Explore the concluding chapters of Cervantes' masterpiece in this one-hour lecture from Yale University. Delve into the author's use of humor to highlight human folly and examine the novel's cyclical structure of repeated homecomings. Analyze the significance of endings in literature and discover how Don Quixote's story concludes in three distinct ways. Investigate the hero's self-conquest, his return to sanity, and the necessity of his death as a form of narrative closure. Gain insights into how reality becomes fictionalized in Part II and how Don Quixote ascends to the pantheon of great literary characters. Conclude with an exploration of Unamuno's, Borges', and Picasso's interpretations of the iconic knight-errant.