The Nature of Humor and Laughter in Don Quixote - Essay Example

?Don Quixote The Nature of Humor and Laughter in Don Quixote Table of Contents Introduction 3 Thesis ment 4 Humor Explicit: The Role of Rancho Penza and Don Quixote in Generating Humor and Laughter in the Novel 4 Humor beyond the Paradigm of Mundane Plot Development 7 Conclusion 10 References 11 Bibliography 11 Introduction “The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha” or popularly titled as “Don Quixote” is one of the most brilliant, impeccable and aesthetic outputs of the Spanish Golden Age. Very outstanding and spectacular work of the Spanish literary canon, the novel was written in two separate decades in two volumes by Miguel De Cervantes. The first volume of the novel appeared in the year 1605 and the second came before its readers in 1615. The novel is one of the first canonical novels and is one of the most influential novels of the contemporary western literature. The novel appears in episodic form and the narrative is framed in picaresque style. A deep delineation to the theme of the novel, “Don Quixote” would launch its critics to an easy contention about the theme. It revolves round the crazy nature of the dream sequence of the protagonist, Don Quixote. Humor and laughter are seen as integral parts of the plot and the subtle interplay of the wit and common sense evoked through the symbolic representation of the character, Sancho Panza who appears as an antithesis to the crazy nature of his master Don Quixote, can be treated as the main source of humor in the novel. However, it would be quite injustice to a novel, decked up with all the aesthetic and technical features of a modern literature, if its elements of humor and laughter are only judged from the point of view of its plot development. The novel, “Don Quixote” captivates many cross-cultural and cross-national elements. It is rich in social critic and therefore the element of humor appears at a greater paradigm of social, political and economical realm as a ridicule, sarcasm and wit far from being a mundane antithetical approach through the character of Sancho Panza. The greatest challenge inherent in the study of this novel appears at this level where the detection of the subtle elements of humor and wit generating laughter is very intimately associated with the sarcastic element of the novel as well. “Don Quixote” is considered as a very funny novel that is romantic and full of adventures and high spirits. It generates laughter at every level but the nature of humor and laughter in the novel is implicit at places which take the novel to a more sensitive and intellectual realm. The nature of humor and laughter in “Don Quixote” is not only entertaining and aesthetic but it also evokes element of intellect and sensitivity in the novel. Thesis Statement The essay intends to trace and to comprehend the subtle interplay of wit, sarcasm and humor inherent in the adventurous plot of the novel Don Quixote and trace out its functions in the plot and the thematic aspect of the novel. Humor Explicit: The Role of Rancho Penza and Don Quixote in Generating Humor and Laughter in the Novel At the outset of the novel itself, the readers get well aware with the skill of Cervantes in terms of dealing the elements of laughter and the facets that will generate humor in the novel with his immense grasp over the area and exercising them at length through the character delineation of Sancho Panza. A close reading and introspection to the character of Sancho Panza, hints at the fact that Cervantes derived materials for his novel from myriad sources and he was highly influenced by them as well. Chivalric novels, tradition pertaining to Carnival and some autobiographical elements loom large in the backdrop of the novel. Author Samuel Putman remarkably notes that the character of Sancho Panza is “the most humorous creation in the whole range of fiction” (Putnam, “The Portable Cervantes”, P 24). He further notes that Don Quixote is the first comedy that frames its humor on the base of “the incongruous clash of reality and appearance” (Putnam, “The Portable Cervantes”, P 32). And here lies the most effective role of the character Sancho Panza in generating humor or expository laughter at its full length throughout the novel. Sancho Panza is introduced to the readers as a squire to the Don Quixote and throughout the novel; he remarkably puts across his comments decked up with humor, Spanish proverbs which are ironic in nature and wit which are very earthy. The basic paradigm from where the humor generates in the plot of this ever funny novel is the operation of the appearance and reality at loggers head with each other. Sancho Panza follows his master Don Quixote out of mere greed and ever inquisitive pursuit of human soul. He is the only character in the novel that makes his existence in and out of the fantasy and mad world of Don Quixote. Through his pragmatic bent of mind, he can be considered as the anti-dote to the frenzies of Don Quixote. Sancho Panza’s pragmatic bent of mind and the ability to comprehend the situation with realism makes him a complete antithetical element to the chivalric and over romantic pursuit of his master Don Quixote. There are numerous encounters of reality appearances faced together by Don Quixote and his loyal squire Sancho Panza which augment hilarious laughter and wit and a deeper implication would surely pave the way to comprehend the pun intended and sarcasm launched through these situations. One such occasion is when Sancho Panza commits to give the letter to Dulcinea and thinks of even beating out an answer from her if necessary. In this occasion Quixote remarks “as far as I can see, you are no saner than I am”. This line generates a broad humor in the novel. The lines definitely come out from a courageous and mad gallant Don Quixote. But it evolves from the teasing, and thwarting relation and encounters between Quixote and his squire Sancho Panza. Sancho Panza acts as an effective catalyst throughout the novel to generate laughter and humor in his pursuit of making Quixote comprehend the real out of his unreal apprehension. Also there are situations in the novel, where Sancho transcends beyond his role of being a catalyst and directly becomes the source of humor and laughter in the course of plot development. Sancho becomes governor and his remark to a constituent whose wife is dead generates hilarious laughter, “if your wife hadn’t died, or been killed, you wouldn’t be a widower now” (Cervantes Saver, M., “Don Quixote”, P 829). Sancho incessantly tries to know the reason behind Quixote turning mad when he is sure that he is not guided by any external forces as in the case of the other knights, Quixote replies, and “a knight errant who turns mad for a reason deserves neither merit not thanks. The thing is to do it without cause” (Cervantes Saver, M., “Don Quixote”, P 209). There are scenes in the novel, where the playful and teasing encounters between Sancho and Don Quixote generate a volley of laughter in the novel. Sancho falls into a pit and cries out for help when he sees Quixote passing by it. They have been separated for a while on account of this incident and Don Quixote thinks that Sancho is dead. And when Sancho calls for help Quixote misunderstands him as his soul crying loud from the purgatory and the situation reassured by Sancho himself when he says that he has never been dead during all these days, generates a broad humor. The encounter and the bonding of Sancho Panza with Don Quixote definitely generate laughter in the novel but this fact does not at all diminish the explicit role of the protagonist in generating laughter and funny situations in the novel. Most of the humorous scenes of the novel evolve from the mad pursuits and inability of Quixote to accept reality as and when it comes. Reality appears very mundane to Quixote. His perception towards the world view is misguiding but Cervantes represents it in an extra-ordinary way which makes it more exciting than the truth of the reality. The phenomenon of turning of windmills into giants and transformation of the giants into windmill again appears very funny but it hints at the inability of Quixote to accept the reality as well. Quixote makes the enchanters responsible for the act of transformation and accuses them of stealing Quixote’s all beloved books as well. The attempt of Don Quixote to make right things wrong and relentless trial of Panza to undo the wrong acts of his masters might appear silly and all of them are unsuccessful catastrophes but no one can ignore the power-play inherent within this master-slave relation that generates laughter and sets the stage for the social ridicule, critic and sarcasm in the novel. Humor beyond the Paradigm of Mundane Plot Development The teasing, thwarting and loyal relation of Don Quixote with his squire, Sancho Panza yields good element of laughter in the novel and helps in plots’ progression. But humor in the novel, “Don Quixote” does not get limited or captivated within the periphery of mundane plot development. Far from being a facet of plot progression, humor appears as a device of social critic and to portray these facts, Cervantes takes the refuge of many other rhetorical and humorous devices that help to generate the laughter and theme of the novel aptly. Plot of the “Don Quixote” invests parody, sarcasm, ridicule, irony and slapstick in order to build the humorous atmosphere of the novel. Parody in the plot of the novel can be traced abundantly throughout. Right from the prologue of the novel, Cervantes tries to inject parody through his lamentation of the fact that he does not know any dukes or ladies who can write for him the introductory sonnets. He further laments his failure to comprehend the pedantic and heavy Latin Phrases that he desires to incorporate into the novel to make it more scholarly in appeal. He also seeks apologies for not been well versed with the Holy Scriptures. In lamenting all these facts, Cervantes actually tries to parodies the pedantic and heavy use of the rhetoric used by his contemporary writers. The master-slave relation does not escape the parody in the novel and the speeches of Quixote also falls victim of Cervantes’ ridicule. The concept of education and wisdom working hand-in hand is completely ridiculed and parodied through the foolish acts of the chivalrous and learned Quixote. Satire and ironical devices are very intimately related with each other while operating in the novel, “Don Quixote”. Some critics feel that if satire is projected with a vision of a social correction and improvement then, the novel “Don Quixote” can be viewed as a social satire written with a vision to expose the vices and the follies inherent in the chivalric novels. But Cervantes himself commented that he did not use satire as he finds it very rude and very inappropriate to show the generosity of heart. Irony operates at a subtle realm in the novel, “Don Quixote”. In this novel, the victim of ironic attack is not any person in particular but attitudes, beliefs and many social conventions are made the victim of irony as well. Don Quixote is ignorant about the world he really views and the actuality of the world in which he lives. This contrast of the appearance versus real world comprehended by Quixote is ironic in nature. There are ample examples of slapstick used by Cervantes in order to generate humor and laughter in the novel, “Don Quixote”. The explicit use of slapstick is used by Cervantes when Quixote is shown inventing his own renowned balsam that he assures would cure any physical wound including a half cut at the waist. Conclusion Since the date of publication, Cervantes’ masterpiece “Don Quixote” has been the best seller and has been translated in more than sixty languages. The reason for such publicity of the novel pertains to its amusing quality that generates laughter and spontaneous humor since ages. Don Quixote is regarded by the writers and the critics as centrally located in the history of the novel. The immaculate tale of a man and his struggle in the immoral world where his world view is strikingly different from the real vision of the world, projects a cautionary saga of idealism versus realism. The humor intended in the novel is beyond any argument, one of the finest of its kind and apart from all the literary theories and anticipation, the novel has the capacity to amuse and relate human mind irrespective of language, culture and age. References Cervantes Saver, Miguel de. Don Quixote Collector's Library, 2012. Putnam, Samuel. The Portable Cervantes. New York, 1978. Bibliography Gans, Bruce. “Symposium.” Journal of Research and Inquiry 2.2 (2001): 5-126. JSTOR. “‘Don Quixote’ As a Funny Book.” The Modern Language Review 64.2 (1969). Scham, Michael. “Don Quijote and the Art of Laughing at Oneself.” The Cervantes Society of America 29.1 (2009): 31-55. Read More