In Chapter 22 of the first part, Don Quixote saw coming toward him twelve men walking in chains.
They were accompanied by four armed guards. As soon as Sancho saw them, he began the following conversation with his master:
“This is a chain of galley slaves, people forced by the king to go to the galleys.”
“What do you mean, forced?” asked Don Quixote. “Is it possible that the king forces anyone?”
“I am not saying that,” responded Sancho, “but these are people who, because of their crimes, have been condemned to serve the king in the galleys, by force.”
“In short,” replied Don Quixote, “for whatever reason, these people are being taken by force and not of their own free will.”
“That’s right,” said Sancho.
“Well, in that case,” said his master, “here it is fitting to put into practice my profession: to right wrongs and come to the aid and assistance of the wretched.”
“Your grace shouldn’t forget,” said Sancho, “that justice, which is the king himself, does not force or do wrong to such people, but sentences them as punishments for their crimes.” [1]
When the galley slaves reached them, Don Quixote politely asked the guards to inform him why those people were in chains. The guards suggested he get the information directly from the prisoners.
The knight began the interrogations and each of the men, sardonically and sarcastically, informed him of their offenses and crimes. One of them had stolen a laundry basket filled with linen; another had acted as go-between and sorcerer, another had stolen livestock, and yet another had been seducing young girls. There was one, about thirty years old and very good looking, with more chains than all the others and condemned to ten years in the galleys. This was the famous Ginés de Pasamonte who told Don Quixote that he has written, with his own fingers, part of his life (a picaresque novel). The commissary told the knight that Ginés was also known as Ginesillo de Parapilla. This comment was disagreeable to the condemned who became very angry. Don Quixote was able to calm him and control the situation. At this moment, the knight began to deliver a speech lamenting the misfortunes of the prisoners and pleading for their freedom: “But, because I know that one of the rules of prudence is that what can be done by good means should not be done by bad, I want to ask these gentlemen, the guards and the commissary, to be so good as to unchain you and let you go in peace.” […] “Furthermore, these poor wretches have done nothing against you gentlemen.” (I, 22; 170, the bold is mine) With these words, Don Quixote is misconstruing justice by changing an issue of legal and penal justice into one of commutative justice (between guards and prisoners). [2] Of course, the commissar does not accept the knight’s petition and responds:
“A fine piece of nonsense!” responded the commissary. “He’s finally come out with it! He wants us to let the king’s prisoners go, as if we had the authority to free them or he had the authority to order us to do so! Your grace, Señor, be on your way, and straighten that basin you’re wearing on your head, and don’t go around looking for a three-legged cat.”
“You are the cat, the rat, and the scoundrel!” responded Don Quixote.
Don Quixote charged with his lance, wounding the commissary and knocking him to the ground. The guards charged Don Quixote and in a moment of great confusion, the galley slaves took advantage of the situation to remove their chains and attack the guards who ran away in fear.
Don Quixote called the galley slaves who gathered around him and commanded them that as a show of gratitude for their liberation, they should visit Dulcinea of Toboso and recount the just and liberating deed performed by him. Ginés de Pasamonte, who had already made a judgment about the knight’s madness, acting as spokesperson of the group, refused because they were afraid to be arrested by the Holy Brotherhood. Instead Ginés offered to pray a certain number of Hail Marys and Creeds for the knight’s intentions.
Don Quixote, in anger, attacked Ginés but he and his companions began to throw rocks at Don Quixote who along with his horse fell to the ground. One of the galley slaves took the basin from his head and smashed it to the ground. He took Sancho’s coat, leaving him in shirtsleeves. Finally, all the galley slaves ran away in different directions.
In conclusion, it is possible that in this episode, Cervantes, through his protagonist, is criticizing the judicial processes of his time. [3] Perhaps he thinks that the punishment is too severe for the crimes that were committed by the prisoners. Don Quixote thinks that he is doing justice because he is rendering to each of them what is his own, which is freedom. Nevertheless, he forgets, that the king’s justice is punishing them because of crimes committed (a fact that is well understood by Sancho). The knight is placing his authority over and above that of the king, perhaps because he possesses a very high concept of the mission of knights-errant: “We are ministers of God on earth, the arms by which His justice is put into effect on earth.” (I, 13; 88-89) Also, Don Quixote lacks prudence by believing everything the galley slaves confessed to him. In addition, he distorts justice when he changes a case of legal and penal justice into one of commutative justice. Literary critic Martín de Riquer in his analysis remarks: “The truth is that Don Quixote reveals in this episode a distortion of the concept of justice, because he defends, not a just cause, but the most unjust of causes that could ever exist, by giving liberty to a group of dangerous and criminal individuals who by throwing rocks to those who liberated them show how evil they are. The adventure of the galley slaves is one of the greatest “quijotadas” (quixotic acts) of Don Quixote, giving to the word the sense that has acquired in Spanish.” [4]
Egberto Bermúdez
[1] Miguel de Cervantes. Don Quixote. Edith Grossman Trans. New York: Harper Collins, 2005. (I, 22; 163-164)
[2]Ángel Pérez Martínez. El Quijote y su idea de virtud. Madrid: CSIC, 2012.p.161.
[3]Ibid.p.161.
[4]Aproximación al Quijote. Barcelona: Teide, 1970.p.87.
