Mechanisms of Wonder: The Performance of Marvels inDon QuixotePart II

Abstract

As many Cervantistas have explained, Don Quixote’s imagined reality in Part II of Don Quixote is markedly different from the one presented in Part I of the novel. His adventures are no longer solely the result of his own imagination, but rather carefully crafted and manipulated by secondary characters in the work, perhaps most notably by the duke and duchess. One thing that has not been so well explained in prior criticism, however, is that intimately tied to this manipulation is the production of marvels and spectacular performances. These marvels are objects that arouse the emotion of wonder in their audiences. Each of the three episodes under study involves inanimate objects that seem to possess animacy. Through the presentation of these marvels, Cervantes shows that the intentional manipulation of the senses is an important aspect of producing wonder, for it helps to keep hidden the cause behind the seemingly marvellous object.