Role of Civil Rights in Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes - Essay Example

The role of civil rights is very strong in the work as Don Quixote can be seen as informing people about their civil rights and helping them to face the wicked. The first errand in which Don Quixote gets involved is the knocking down of the monks who are the attendants of a lady. Don Quixote considers them as attackers. Sancho, Don Quixote’s squire gets confused that they will face some adverse reaction from the lady’s attendants but Don Quixote informs him about their civil rights as knights.

He matches himself with police officers who have the right to use some violence in order to maintain law (Presburg 56). According to him, knights can be aggressive at times for which, they won’t get punished as they are authorized to use their strength for the safety of common people. Don Quixote attends the burial ceremony of Chrysostom who commits suicide for a lady named Marcela. Marcela rejects his love, which becomes a reason for his suicide. At the burial, Marcela appears and informs that she is not responsible for anybody.

Don Quixote protects Marcela from the chasing men and threatens that he will kill anyone who will chase Marcela (El Saffer 134). He becomes a guard of the woman and asks her if he can be of any help for her. The protagonist of the work, Don Quixote shows interest in listening to the stories narrated by the characters with whom he meets in his journey and shows sympathy for them (Presburg 59). He meets several prisoners watched over by equipped men and asks the prisoners to inform about them. They all narrate their stories by showing them as innocent people who are maltreated.

Don Quixote helps them in their freedom by fighting with the armed men. He shows a sympathetic attitude towards each and every person who seems above suspicion. Don Quixote also shows interest in the story of the naked man named Cardenio whom he finds in his way and chases him in order to know about him.