Sancho Panza as a Wise Fool - Essay Example

Sancho Panza as a Wise Fool In many of the epic and heroic tales in literature, a comedic sidekick accompanies the flawless hero figure. In Miguel Cervantes’s epic, Don Quixote de la Mancha, Sancho Panza serves as both the comedic relief as well as a figure of reason. Since the hero Don Quixote is a flawed figure, the responsibility of maintaining logic falls to his trusted friend and companion, Sancho Panza. However, this quirky peasant was uneducated in the lofty principles of knighthood and therefore was incapable completely understanding the rhetoric of his master. Sancho Panza filled the role of the wise fool throughout the duo’s misadventures, as he was both reasonable but also uneducated and occasionally foolish. In the contrast to his madman master, Sancho reflected a realistic approach to the knight-errant’s fantastic tales of giants and damsels in distress. Sancho’s comedic reactions to fear demonstrated his idiotic nature, while his surprisingly astute mandates as governor continually shocked those involved in the joke. Sancho proved himself capable of running a government fairly and honestly although it was assumed he would make a fool of himself. Sancho Panza was cast in the roll of wise fool but demonstrated surprising wisdom and capability when faced with difficult decisions. The fool was a common figure in 16th Century Spanish theatre. Cervantes drew upon this archetype to sculpt one side of the character of Sancho Panza. The role of this character was meant to be the jester, a comical figure laughed at for his idiotic qualities (Close 344). Physically, the person could be a dwarf, heavyset, or have a distinguishing feature that is abnormal. Sancho had a shorter statue and a rotund figure that aligned him with the wise fool build. The fool was characterized as lazy, greedy, forgetful, and cowardly. He was also seen as a vulgar character that was incapable of controlling himself in a public arena (Close). Sancho also possessed these qualities at different points in the epic. In the literature of the time, there was a distinction among this character type that can be categorized as either a “natural” fool or an “artificial” fool. A natural fool cannot help himself; it was his nature to act in idiotic ways because he does not know any better. However, an artificial fool is a more cunning figure who played the dunce but was really only pretending (Close). Under only these circumstances, Sancho aligns with the natural fool category because he was not cunning or trying to get ahead by playing the dunce. The term wise fool presents an interesting oxymoron because of the opposite meanings of the words. While a fool was nothing more than a source of comedic relief, a wise fool possessed qualities that reflect wisdom and insight. In Sancho’s case, he possessed both qualities, which adds a new dimension to his character. In Part I, Sancho was looked more upon as a natural fool for following the misadventures of a madman. His role changes in Part II though, as he is capable of making intelligent decisions in the face of trickery (Close). The transition between the two books of Don Quixote de la Mancha demonstrates the evolution in the character of Sancho. The audience is forced to consider Sancho as more than a bumbling squire to his master due to his fairness and common sense in the second book. In Chapter XX of Part I, Sancho demonstrated a strange mixture of insight and foolery. Don Quixote’s delusional mindset has already caused a series of misadventures and mishaps for the wandering duo and Sancho has begun to realize that perhaps Don Quixote could be causing more harm than good. Sancho’s fear of things that go bump in the night would be considered a classic trait of the 16th Century fool. Cervantes writes, "Thats true," said Sancho, "but fear has sharp eyes, and sees things underground, much more above in heavens; besides, there is good reason to show that it now wants but little of day"(122). Sancho’s fear was so strong that he begged Don Quixote to remain where they were, but when begging would not persuade the knight, Sancho resorted to trickery. By binding Rocinante’s feet together, Sancho successfully avoided the dreaded adventure for the night. His quick-witted reaction would not be a typical characteristic of a natural fool because he employed trickery to deceive his master. Also, this is the first time in the novel that Sancho realized he could use Don Quixote’s madness to his advantage when his own situation becomes dire. A natural fool would not have quickly jumped to this conclusion and therefore his actions demonstrated Sancho’s insight. However, Chapter XX also detailed Sancho behaving in manners that were appropriate for the fool character. The act of relieving himself in close proximity to his master would be considered a foul and highly ridiculous behavior. Sancho’s fear overwhelmed him to a point of defecating without even taking his hand off of Don Quixote’s leg. Cervantes continued to use the classic model of the fool in this case by creating a comical and ridiculous scene and making Sancho the brunt of the joke. The adventures of Don Quixote and Sancho in Part I became famous throughout the countryside and set up Part II. Since others now knew of the madness of Don Quixote and his faithful companion, the two became a laughing stock throughout the country. Other characters expected wild and ridiculous tales from the two and for the most part, they did not disappoint their audiences. In the episodes with the Duke, Sancho was given the seat of a governor on an island as a set up. The Duke and his companions decide to continually test Sancho’s ability to govern and hope for comical reactions that would be expected by a fool. They expect foolish and outlandish behavior based on the stories from Part I. However, much to their chagrin, Sancho proved to be a wise and insightful governor, rarely ever falling for their traps. The transition from Part I and Part II shows the less foolish nature of Sancho as shown in the incident in Chapter XX and instead demonstrated his fairness and good reasoning. Upon Sancho’s arrival, his new subjects congregated to welcome their new “governor” and test his character. Sancho’s first minor test was the addition of the title don to his name. Cervantes described Sancho’s reaction to the title. Well then, let me tell you, brother,’ said Sancho, ‘I havent got the Don, nor has any one of my family ever had it; my name is plain Sancho Panza and Sancho was my fathers name, and Sancho was my grandfathers and they were all Panzas, without any Dons or Donas tacked on…and maybe if my government lasts four days Ill weed out these Dons that no doubt are as great a nuisance as the midges, theyre so plenty. (479) Since Sancho was only a poor peasant, using a title was completely out of the question in his mind. Unlike his friend Don Quixote, Sancho has no desire to elevate his status in society but only cared to live as simply as possible. This sentiment was in contrast to the fanciful imagination of his master. Don Quixote assumed the title “don” when he knighted himself, which in reality would have been considered a great offense to the noble classes. In this sense, Don Quixote acts the fool while Sancho assumed the voice of reason. Since the entire journey to the island is a set up for the Duke’s amusement, Sancho encountered numerous tricks and deceptions to which he responds astutely. His ability to govern fairly astounds those around him. Cervantes described the reaction of the townspeople, “all who were present were astonished, and he who was recording the words, deeds, and movements of Sancho could not make up his mind whether he was to look upon him and set him down as a fool or as a man of sense” (508). The townspeople had been expecting Sancho to behave in a foolish manner in the judgement of three cases, but were surprised when the tricked saw straight to the core of matters. Each progressive trick was meant to unsettle the governor and provide a good laugh to the Duke and his companions, but Sancho did not waver in his ability to distinguish right from wrong. In Chapter XLVII, the Duke and his friends tried to trap Sancho in his greatest weakness, food. Cervantes uses food as another method to demonstrate the gluttonous characteristics associated with the foolish character. Once again, Sancho managed to manipulate the trick in a manner in which he did not appear foolish, only precautionary. Within the same chapter, the incident with the farmer arises, but Sancho sees straight through this trick as well. Cervantes writes, “The carver made signs to the farmer to leave the room, which he did with his head down, and to all appearance in terror lest the governor should carry his threats into effect, for the rogue knew very well how to play his part” (542). The practical side of Sancho recognized in this particular trick that he was being played for the fool and therefore the governor decided the release his frustrations on the “farmer.” A less insightful or less practical governor may have been swayed by the man’s pathetic story and given him the money requested. In Sancho’s case, the foolish characteristic of greed worked to his advantage so that he was able to see through the man’s false pretenses. Sancho’s astuteness and levelheaded rulings continued to shock his subjects in Chapter XLIX. After delivering a particularly articulate speech to his subjects, Cervantes describes the reaction of his subjects, “All who knew Sancho Panza were astonished to hear him speak so elegantly, and did not know what to attribute it to unless it were that office and grave responsibility either smarten or stupefy mens wits” (567). Everyone expected Sancho to behave in a ridiculous manner as governor, but instead his brain seemed to sharpen and become more practical than ridiculous. Throughout the rest of his term as “governor,” Sancho continued to make practical rulings and see through the maliciously planned jokes. Sancho’s transition from the simpleton that followed Don Quixote without question to the wise and astute governor demonstrates the character of a wise fool. While his judgment may have been sound when it came to matters of practicality, Sancho’s fear of fanciful creatures in the dark stems from foolish characteristics. His gullible nature was easily controlled and contorted by Don Quixote’s incredible stories and invented foes. In opposition to his foolish side, Sancho also contained a levelheaded and astute nature as governor. Since the term wise fool is an oxymoron, in this role, Sancho is capable of possessing both outlandish qualities and wisdom. The two characters themselves can be considered an oxymoron. In part I, Sancho played the part of the dunce while Don Quixote assumed the role of logic, but the roles reverse once Sancho demonstrates his ability to pass sound judgement. The wise fool character exemplifies both idiotic tendencies and the ability to see clearly to the heart of problems. Works Cited Cervantes, Miguel. Don Quixote de la Mancha. New York: Penguin, 2003. Close, A.J. “Sancho Panza: Wise Fool.” The Modern Foreign Language Review April 1973: 344. Modern Humanities Research Association. JSTOR. 10 Dec. 2008 . Read More