DQ - an elderly, insane Messiah

Capítulo II.

Hechas, pues, estas prevenciones , no quiso aguardar más tiempo a poner en efecto su pensamiento, apretándole a ello la falta que él pensaba que hacía en el mundo su tardanza , según eran los agravios que pensaba deshacer, tuertos que enderezar , sinrazones que enmendar, y abusos que mejorar , y deudas que satisfacer. Y así, sin dar parte a una de su intención, y sin que nadie le viese, una mañana, antes del día (que era uno de los calurosos del mes de julio) se armó de todas sus armas, subió sobre Rocinante, puesta su mal compuesta celada, embrazó su adarga, tomó su lanza, y por la puerta falsa de un corral salió al campo, con grandísimo contento y alborozo de ver con cuánta facilidad había dado principio a su buen deseo. Mas apenas se vio en el campo, cuando le asaltó un pensamiento terrible, y tal, que por poco le hiciera dejar la comenzada empresa; y fue que le vino a la memoria que no era armado caballero, y que, conforme a ley de caballería, ni podía ni debía tomar armas con ningún caballero; y puesto que lo fuera, había de llevar armas blancas como novel caballero, sin empresa en el escudo, hasta que por su esfuerzo la ganase. Estos pensamientos le hicieron titubear en su propósito; mas, pudiendo más su locura que otra razón alguna, propuso de hacerse armar caballero del primero que topase, a imitación de otros muchos que así lo hicieron , según él había leído en los libros que tal le tenían. En lo de las armas blancas pensaba limpiarlas de manera , en teniendo lugar, que lo fuesen más que un armiño; y con esto se quietó y prosiguió su camino, sin llevar otro que aquel que su caballo quería , creyendo que en aquello consistía la fuerza de las aventuras.

These preliminaries settled, he did not care to put off any longer the execution of his design, urged on to it by the thought of all the world was losing by his delay, seeing what wrongs he intended to right, grievances to redress, injustices to repair, abuses to remove, and duties to discharge. So, without giving notice of his intention to anyone, and without anybody seeing him, one morning before the dawning of the day (which was one of the hottest of the month of July) he donned his suit of armour, mounted Rocinante with his patched-up helmet on, braced his buckler, took his lance, and by the back door of the yard sallied forth upon the plain in the highest contentment and satisfaction at seeing with what ease he had made a beginning with his grand purpose. But scarcely did he find himself upon the open plain, when a terrible thought struck him, one all but enough to make him abandon the enterprise at the very outset. It occurred to him that he had not been dubbed a knight, and that according to the law of chivalry he neither could nor ought to bear arms against any knight; and that even if he had been, still he ought, as a novice knight, to wear white armour, without a device upon the shield until by his prowess he had earned one. These reflections made him waver in his purpose, but his craze being stronger than any reasoning, he made up his mind to have himself dubbed a knight by the first one he came across, following the example of others in the same case, as he had read in the books that brought him to this pass. As for white armour, he resolved, on the first opportunity, to scour his until it was whiter than an ermine; and so comforting himself he pursued his way, taking that which his horse chose, for in this he believed lay the essence of adventures.

(This is the Ormsby translation posted by Duke U. - Don Quijote de la Mancha de Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra Edición bilingüe, español-inglés, en textos paralelos Bilingual edition: Spanish-English, in parallel texts English translation by J. Ormsby)

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In chapter two, don Quixote mounts up, rides out of his modest hacienda, for the first time as a knight-errant.

Cervantes intends the reader to develop considerable sympathy for Quixote. 

Quixote has prepared in earnest but inadequately for whatever challenges he may face.

Consider the possibility that Quixote is being presented as a Christian (not Jewish) messianic figure: 

Quixote:

- has assumed a new identity; 

- intends to do good throughout the world by conquering evil; 

- takes on the role of a majestic sufferer; 

- is confident of his ultimate vindication, despite all obstacles;

- awaits proper authoritative sanction, before he can undertake his mission across the earth. 

- relies on cosmic direction, by letting his horse pick the route. 

All of this is revealed in Chapter two, in the first paragraph.

True, Quixote is middle age which doesn't fit messianic notions. 

True also, Cervantes insists that Quixote has lost his mind.

But in this satire, Cervantes is willing to undermine the traditional messianic ideal by presenting to the world, an elderly, insane Messiah.