The Duchess and Altisidora: Two Enemies of Dulcinea

Abstract

Don Quixote creates Dulcinea of El Toboso, the beloved of the knight-errant, out of his recollections of Aldonza Lorenzo. The character of Dulci­nea is very different from the peasant woman who inspired her creation, to the point that the latter is entirely effaced, while the imaginary Dulcinea, as she has taken possession of don Quixote’s inner world, becomes stronger and plays an increa­singly important role in the novel, exerting influence on the development of events. This will be more evident in the second part of the novel, where two women at the duke’s court, the duchess herself and Altisidora, take on the task of unmasking the nonexistence of Dulcinea, and induce don Quixote to fall in love with a real woman, a role assumed by Altisidora. In this essay, I argue that the more these real women question Dulci­nea, the stronger will be don Quixote’s feelings for his imaginary beloved. This process takes place within one of the central conflicts of Cervantes’ novel: the struggle between the creatures of the imagination and those we accept as real.