Exploring the Universality of Patriarchy in Selected Characters of Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote
https://doi.org /10.5281/zen od o.14979193
Author(s): Anirudh Pradeep & Dr. Brinda P.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14979193
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Volume 16 | Issue 1 | Feb 2025
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Galaxy: International Multidisciplinary Research Journal
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The Criterion: An International Journal in English Vol. 16, Issue-I, February 2025 ISSN: 0976-8165
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https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10448030
Exploring the Universality of Patriarchy in Selected Characters of Miguel de
Cervantes’ Don Quixote
Anirudh Pradeep
II MA English,
PSG College of Arts & Science.
&
Dr. Brinda P.
Associate Professor,
Department of English,
PSG College of Arts & Science.
Article History: Submitted‐01/02/2025, Revised‐10/02/2025, Accepted‐23/02/2025, Published‐28/02/2025.
Abstract:
This research paper explores the expedition of patriarchy through time by studying minor
characters such as Marcela and Grisóstomo in Don Quixote (1605) by Miguel de Cervantes.
Grisóstomo was a shepherd who committed suicide upon Marcela’s rejection of his love. Marcela
being antagonised at Grisóstomo’s funeral shows the unity of patriarchial thoughts. This paper
compares contemporary socio-political issues regarding male rights activism with events set in
16th-century Spain through fiction, establishing the universality of patriarchy and the resistance
that occurs while patriarchy is being broken. Don Quixote’s reaction to the events will be analysed
as he is a unique character, considered odd by the rest of the characters in the story. This paper
gives a perspective on the reactionary nature fostered by men against feminism and tries to provide
a solution for the gender separatist sentiments that lead to the denial of women’s rights.
Keywords: Patriarchy, male ego, feminism, resistance.
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https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14979193
Exploring the Universality of Patriarchy in Selected Characters of Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote
www.the-criterion.com
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10448030
Introduction:
Miguel de Cervantes was born on 1547 at Alcalá de Henares, Spain. He had served in the
Spanish military and had even lost the use of his left hand due to a severe injury during the war.
He had written a few dramas and novels before Don Quixote. However, none had garnered much
attention until he wrote Don Quixote in 1605. He would publish the secound part 10 years later.
Don Quixote remains his magnum opus. Don Quixote would make him financially stable but he
would pass away in 1616 – 11 years after the publication of Don Quixote. As it is a social satire,
it is important to know the cultural context in which the novel exists. Cervantes uses satire to
critique the absurdities of the time. Spain had been under Islamic rule for nearly 100 years and
‘The Reconquista’ was a Christian quest to regain power. The novel is set after the events of
Reconquista. Another important historical fact is the infamous Spanish Inquisition established
under King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabela I of Castile. Understanding these historical
events helps the reader to sense the political tension of the time which would have affected the
common people. The Eponymous Don Quixote is an old man who reads a lot of Chivalric novels
and starts thinking of himself as a knight errant. He embarks on a journey with his squire Sancho
Panza to rid the world of injustices. The discourse between idealism and realism is an important
theme in the novel. On his journey, Don Quixote finds shelter among a few goatherds. Don Quixote
gets familiarised with Marcela – the shepherdess through a quarrel among the goatherds about a
shepherd named Grisóstomo who had fallen in love with the beauteous Marcella and had
committed suicide due to her indifference and rejection of his love. Marcella was born into a
wealthy and respected family. The death of both her parents had left her with an enormous amount
of wealth. However, in 16th-century Spain, women had no rights to property. All the wealth was
being held by her uncle – a priest until she was married. After marriage, the wealth would be passed
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on to her husband. Her beauty had become the talk of the town. Everyone was intrigued by the tale
of a beautiful girl named Marcella who had chosen to be a shepherdess despite all her wealth. Men
aspired to attain her. There was a lot to gain from courting Marcella. The fact that her courtship
came with automatic wealth had made her a materialistic object of desire for men. Her beauty is
commodified, as courting a lady with many suitors becomes a matter of pride.
Grisóstomo had wanted his dead body to be buried at the same place where he first laid
eyes on Marcella. The suicide had put Marcella’s reputation under question. Grisóstomo’s last
poem about the dejection he felt pursuing Marcela ends up being read aloud during his funeral
despite his wish to have his poems burnt during his funeral. His friends argued among themselves
on whether the poems should be read out loud or not. In the end, the poem ended up being read
out loud. However, the poem does sound an awful lot like he wanted it to be read out loud. The
poem starts –
“Since you, most cruel, wish all tongue to proclaim,
all men to know the harsh power of your will,
I will have hell itself teach a mournful song
to my grieving breast; then add to that discord
with the stridency of this my tuneless voice.
And, companion to my desire as it strives
to tell of my sorrow and your heartless deeds,
that fearful voice will resound; worse torment,
it will carry pieces of my wretched heart. […]
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My heartless agony will be carried by
A dead man’s tongue, in words that will survive him,
To craggy heights or, bottomless ravines,…” (94-95).
These lines show resentment and an intention to have it read aloud. This shows that Grisóstomo
was disingenuous in his wish for the poems not to be read aloud. It could even be speculated that
he wanted a Mark Antonyesque situation to arise where Caesar’s will being read aloud will cause
unruliness in the crowd, making them realise the evil that was Brutus or in this case, Marcela. The
resentment seems to have been built up due to the jealousy that he felt. His jealousy is apparent in
these lines-
“Disdain can kill, suspicions true or false
Can bring down patience; and jealousy slays;
With grim ferocity; long absence can
Cofound a life; feared oblivion defeats
Surest hope for a life of happiness.
In all this, certain death cannot be fled;
but I-O, wonderous miracle!–I live on
jelous, absent, disdaint, and certain of
suspicions that feel me, forgotten by one
for whom I burn with ever hotter flame,
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and in so much torment I can never see
even the shadow of hope that, in despair,
I do not attempt to find; rather to carry
my voe to the furthest extreme, I vow
eternally to live bereft of hope.” (95-96).
Jealousy can be considered a humane emotion that exists in men and women, but it is only
justifiable when rooted in mutual love. The male ego is at the root of this emotion. The male ego
is a term related to a man’s sense of self-importance or self-esteem. Such problems occur when a
man’s self-esteem is dictated by a patriarchal society. Grisóstomo feels humiliated by Marcela’s
rejection and can’t even bear the thought of her being courted by someone else. This thought births
an inferiority complex within him as the male ego remains unsatisfied. The gen z term for such a
person would be ‘incel’. Google states that an incel is a member of the online community that
consists of young men who consider themselves incapable of attracting women – typically
associated with views that are hostile towards men and women who are romantically active.
Grisóstomo would be a 16th-century incel. His poems are a substitute for the online spaces
provided in this day and age.
After the poem had been read aloud during the funeral, Marcela shows up to ‘answer for
her crimes’. She comments on the perceived notions about her beauty by saying
“I know with natural understanding that God has given me, that everything
beautiful is loveable, but I cannot grasp why, simply because it is loved, the thing
loved for its beauty is obliged to love the one who loves it. Further, the lover of the
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beautiful thing might be ugly, and since ugliness is worthy of being avoided, it is
absurd for anyone to say: ‘I love you because you are beautiful; you must love me
even though I am ugly.” (99).
She questions the idea of conventional beauty standards and its relation to love. For Marcela, Love
remains distant from commodified beauty. Beauty is admired, not loved. Besides, beauty is in the
eye of the beholder. It is subjective. For Marcela, love contradicts materialistic desires.
Materialistic desires are short-lived and trivial. She reminds everyone that she is a human being
rather than an object to be possessed. Later on in her speech, she points out how the intentions of
men contradict the biblical dogma regarding the chastity of a woman. She says
“Honor and virtue are adornments of the soul, without which the body is not truly
beautiful, even if it seems to be so. And if chastity is one of the virtues that most
adorn and beautify both body and soul, why should a woman loved for being
beautiful, lose that virtue in order to satisfy the desire of a man who, for the sake of
his pleasure, attempts with all his might and main to have her lose it?” (99).
This statement becomes particularly relevant in the context of the Spanish Inquisition that was
going on at the time. Citizens of Spain who failed to follow religious beliefs and indulged in
“scandalous” activities were persecuted. Why were male desires that went against religious beliefs
not put under interrogation? Religion acts as a tool to oppress women and cement patriarchy.
Marcela points out a contradiction in bending the rules to suit patriarchial ways. In response to
Grisóstomo’s letter, Marcela says
“ If desires feed on hopes, and since I have given no hope to Grisóstomo or any
other man regarding those desires, it is correct to say that his obstinacy, not my
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cruelty, is what killed him. […] As you know, I have wealth of my own and do not
desire anyone else’s; I am free and do not care to submit to another; I do not love
or despise anyone. I do not deceive this one or solicit that one; I do not mock one
or amuse myself with another” (99-100).
Marcela defends herself and clears herself of all the acquisitions.
Certain literary texts travel through time. Don Quixote is a text that remains relevant today.
Not just the ideological discourse between idealism and realism or the satirical portrayal of the
socio-political conditions of 16th-century Spain, minor characters such as Marcella and Grisóstomo
leave a lasting impact on the reader. Despite the comedic undertone, Cervantes doesn’t fail to
capture the gravitas of matters. Marcela is a minor character who holds a lot of weight and appears
in the vast fictional world of Don Quixote. It is obvious that we still live in a predominantly
patriarchal society that caters to the needs of men. In the 21st century, the rise of technology and
globalisation conjoined with progressive movements such as the Me Too movement had seen the
world move towards a much more women-friendly atmosphere. However, In a world where
women are starting to find their place, some men feel out of place. The contemporary socio-
political atmosphere has seen the birth and uprising of male rights activism. Male rights activism
resits feminism and its effects on the world. Men who subscribe to these views suffer from an
identity crisis in this rapidly changing world. In an age where a lot of women aren’t shy to express
themselves and question inequalities, a lot of men feel dejected due to the cultural compromise of
power. Whenever there is a revolution, there will be resistance to change. The formerly well-oiled
machine that is patriarchy is being torn apart quite rapidly and it is natural for the breakage of a
system to see resistance. This resistance is easy to spot in cultural and political contexts. The
popularity and following that Andrew Tate gained in social media is a testament to this sentiment.
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Andrew Tate is a British-American kickboxer/social media influencer who gained popularity
during COVID-19. Tate’s content revolved around encouraging men to work out, flaunting his
wealth, and making misogynistic statements. His popularity had increased to an extent where his
viewers were pouring their money into a subscription-based model called Hustler’s University
which initially turned out to be a pyramid scheme masked as an educational platform. With the
unlimited exposition that Andrew Tate gets through social media, it is fair to say that Andrew Tate
influenced a lot of young men in regressive ways. The fact that Andrew Tate persisted and stayed
relevant despite numerous accusations of rape and sex trafficking for which he was even arrested
shows the degree of things people tend to overlook if someone is pushing forward a misogynistic
agenda. Another example of this sentiment is the gender wars in South Korea. The young men in
South Korea continuously advocate for reactionary political policies against women even though
South Korea already has the widest gender pay gap in the world. There are recorded cases of South
Korean women facing oppression from the public and the government for expressing feminist
ideologies. The tale of Marcella is a case of patriarchial resistance against women’s rights.
Comparison of a fictional event written in 16th-century Spain with the contemporary world and a
comparison between a feudal society and a capitalist one might seem far-fetched, but the fact that
fiction is largely influenced by facts and a deep understanding of the society makes it apparent that
class segregation existed in different forms throughout the history of humankind makes this
comparison legitimate. The fact that Marcela was born to a well-respected upper-class family gives
her much more liberty and freedom of choice than most women in Spain during the time. This acts
as an equaliser of time making the juxtaposition of Marcela with the contemporary woman with
financial stability easier. Looking at both situations, it is apparent that when there is a balance
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being struck in the gender roles and liberties, patriarchy tends to resist. This resistance is on display
in the tale of Marcela and Grisóstomo.
Don Quixote in the story is viewed and portrayed as a fool. The narrator and most of the
other characters in the novel see Don Quixote as a crazy old man who has lost it. Superficially, It
does seem that way but as the reader goes on the absurd journey with Don Quixote, they realise
that he is not a mad man in a virtuous world, instead, he is a virtuous man in a mad world. The
madness blinds the virtue. We see often in the novel that Don Quixote fights for what is right. He
sees the good in people when it isn’t necessarily there. When Marcela is done with her speech at
the funeral, she requests the men there not to follow her into the forest. After she leaves for the
forest, Don Quixote in a typical Quixotic fashion, heroically stands up for Marcela and says
“Let no person, whatever his circumstances or condition, dare to follow the
beautiful Marcela lest he fall victim to my fury and outrage.” (101).
Even a man who is continuously being mocked for being mentally unstable can see reason in this
circumstance. Don Quixote’s innocent perception of this world and this situation differentiates him
from the unruly mob as he yet again stands up for what is right.
Conclusion:
This resistance by patriarchy can be looked at through a holistic lens. Resisting changes
that seem alien and new is a natural human tendency and is not necessarily immoral since changes
can be of virtue or vice. Hence, it is important to analyze the change that is happening. An
empathetic frame of mind can see that the changes brought forth by feminism are for a liberated
space for women to reside in. Gender equality may seem radical through a conservative lens but a
shared space of equality is beneficial for both men and women as it frees men from extreme
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patriarchial expectations. Sharing an equal space means sharing responsibilities, emotional
burdens, respect, and love. Love attained through systematic oppression isn’t real love, it is merely
submission. Grisóstomo’s love was made of patriarchial notions of attainment and ownership.
There are a lot of Grisóstomos that exist in today’s world too. They need to understand that loving
and attaining are two different things. In an ideal world (the quest of Don Quixote), love is respect
and acceptance of the other’s choices. Love is not just personal, it is a universal phenomenon. Love
is the only way to break patriarchy from within.
Works Cited:
Cervantes, Miguel de. Don Quixote. Translated by Edith Grossman, 1st ed., HarperCollins, 2003.
Agha, Ali. “Andrew Tate: The Violent, Misogynistic World of TikTok’s New Star.” The Guardian,
6 Aug. 2022, www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/aug/06/andrew-tate-violent-misogynistic-
world-of-tiktok-new-star.
Pappas, Stephanie. “What Does It Mean to Be an Incel?” CNN, 16 Mar. 2023,
edition.cnn.com/2023/03/16/us/incel-involuntary-celibate-explained-cec/index.html.
Stewart, Emily. “What Was the Spanish Inquisition?” The Collector, 7 Oct. 2020,
www.thecollector.com/what-was-the-spanish-inquisition/.
Yun, Jiwon. “Understanding Antifeminist Backlash in the South Korean Context: Remnants of
Militarism
and
Patriarchy.”
9dashline,
9dashline,
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2020,
www.9dashline.com/article/understanding-antifeminist-backlash-in-the-south-korean-context-
remnants-of-militarism-and-patriarchy.
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