The character Don Quixote is an antihero. An antihero is a person who is not commendable; he is incompetent and unfit. Don Quixote is an antihero because of the characteristics he represents, including the inability to learn from his mistakes, weakness, and incompetence. For example, he does not learn from unfavorable experience when his homemade cardboard helmet visor falls apart. Also, when villagers attack Sancho, his squire, Don Quixote first tries to help, but cowardly runs away. Finally, Don Quixote is ineffectual when he intercedes while Andres is being beaten. Don Quixote is unable to learn from his experiences. While cleaning an old suit of armor to use for his protection for his crazy adventures, he finds that the helmet’s visor is…show more content… He claims it to be the best made without knowing whether or not it works. (Chapter 1) He does not acknowledge any of his mistakes. Don Quixote is a coward. When angry villagers attack Sancho, his partner in crime, Don Quixote first comes to his rescue, but as the villagers turn their attack from Sancho to him, he quickly leaves. Sancho is left alone to protect himself. (Chapter 27) Don Quixote demonstrates that he is not brave. Don Quixote is incompetent. Don Quixote tries to free a young fellow, named Andres from a farmer who was whipping him. He tells the farmer to stop beating him, but once Don Quixote left, the farmer continues to hit him and also teases Andre by mocking Don Quixote. When Andres reappears later in the story, Don Quixote leads him to a group of travelers to narrate the story of being saved from the beating. Andres relates the tale, indicating how useless Don Quixote was in helping him. (Chapters 4 and 31) Instead of being admired for his actions, the antihero is humiliated. Don Quixote represents the characteristics of being unfit and incompetent. He fails to accept challenging obstacles and therefore cannot sufficiently address them. He is a coward in battle, and he is ineffectual in helping
