anyone completely understand the novel "don quixote"?

Question

i had to read the story, in a shortened form, for school. we were asked to write about how he was either a madman or an intellectual visionary. how was he an intellectual visionary?! i dont quite grasp that concept... he was a mad man in my mind, but i want to know how he was an intellectual visionary. help?

good points...

Answer 1

He was a Spanish Nobleman who lived in a time when the age
of Chivalry was over,all the great Battles were over there was nothing left to fight for . There was no Damsels to Rescue,the
Nation was not in Peril. It was a time of Peace, besides which
he was already an old man. He had nothing left to Occupy his
time, except to Dream of the Glory that was past. So He bagan
to have Fantasys that he was a Knight,a Chavalier. I wouldnt
say he was mad ,more like in his second childhood like a lot of us when we think no one is watching we might play with a train set,or someones scalextric racing Cars.The Difference with him
was he was a Noble and belonged to That Class that Carried
out such Feats of Daring, Except he arrived on the Earth at the wrong time he just missed out on things, He never Fulfilled
himself, He was like a Soldier that was Desk Bound and spent
his entire Army Career in the Staff Headquarters as The Aide
de Camp to The Field Marshal, and had nothing to Look forward
to just a Pension on Retirement.

Answer 2

You're reading the story too closely if you see only the madness in the man. In my opinion, Don Quixote was a visionary because he saw a better life, a life beyond the mundane, but also beyond fantasy. We must ask ourselves, did he believe his own madness? Or was he merely playing, tired of the boredom of his life as a thinker. And how are the other characters incorporated into his drama? Don't they go a little mad too as they start to believe in him?

As yourself this question, wouldn't you like to live like Don Quixote, just for a little while? He fights a good fight and is never worried about the "what if's" of life.

Answer 3

I'd probably say that the author Cervantes was an intellectual visionary writing about a madman in Don Quixote. It's important not to confuse them as one.

Answer 4

Have you ever seen an old black and white classic called "Harvey?" It's about a giant white rabbit that allows himself to be called "Harvey" (if that's the name you like) and that only certain pixliated and slightly eccentric people can see. Where Harvey passes, he leaves a trail of disbelievers who find contentment because of his strange invisible presence. The eccentricities of the believers, the key to seeing Harvey, become endearing, and we all wish, in the end, that we ourselves might one day be privileged to see "Harvey." The Don lived with his Harvey every day of his life till the very end.