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The Characters
The characters in Man of La Mancha provide great insight into how Don Quixote, the main character, grows in faith as he encounters the challenges they create. Also, this description will provide for a better understanding of how the story plays out.
The numbers refer to the song in which a particular quote is taken from. This list can be found lower on the page.
Don Quixote - Though his real name is Alonso Quijana, he is most commonly referred to as Don Quixote de La Mancha, a “knight errant” (1) set to conquer the world from evil.
Aldonza - A full-time serving woman and part-time prostitute, Aldonza leads a sad and miserable life, as stated in “It’s All The Same” (2). This outlook on life is changed, however, when she meets Don Quixote when he creates a new identity, Dulcinea the Lady.
Sancho Panza - Don Quixote’s manservant and friend, Sancho blindly follows Don Quixote on all of his crazy adventures. When asked why, his only response is. “I really like him.” (6)
The Innkeeper - Seen by Don Quixote as the king of the castle-inn, the Innkeeper is a good man, who wants what is best for Aldonza. When Don Quixote comes to his inn, he finds that Don Quixote is in love with Aldonza and therefore plays along, even knighting Don Quixote!
Doctor Carrasco - Antonia’s fiancée, he does not want a madman in his family, and so tries to rid Don Quixote of this ailment of insanity.
Pedro - The head muleteer, he often uses Aldonza, and does not like Don Quixote making Aldonza think she is indeed worthy of respect. He, in one scene, manages to overpower Aldonza in a great struggle.
Padre and Antonia - The local priest and Don Quixote’s niece, they both wish the man were sane again, and try desperately to make him right again.
The Story
The story of how the Man of La Mancha grows into his faith can best be told through the songs in the musical. Don Quixote has an idea of how the world should be (with knights, ladies, chivalry, etc.) and in this “madness” he sees the best in people, even when they cannot see it themselves. The challenges he will face are when people will not see what he does. I think that Don Quixote’s growth is not so much a progression from a lack of faith to an abundance of faith, but rather a discovery of people who he grows faith in.
The story begins with the “Opening”, as Don Miguel de Cervantes, a poet and tax-collector, is thrown into prison to appear before the Spanish Inquisition amid the sound of singing in Spanish. Cervantes is forced into a trial by his fellow prisoners, for “No one enters or leaves this prison without being tried by his fellow prisoners” - The Governor.
To present his case, he decides to perform a charade (Man of La Mancha), a story of a country squire named Alonso Quijana who in his retired years, “lays down the melancholy burden of sanity to…become a knight errant and sally forth into the world to right all wrongs,” - Cervantes.
The show’s focus turns to an Inn, where Aldonza serves a crew of men called the Muleteers. They demand “food, wine…” and express their intent: “I come to Aldonza for love”. Aldonza, who is frequently used, says that “I’ll go with you or your brother” in the song, “It’s All The Same”. This song reveals Aldonza as a character without faith in other people while also introducing a person who Don Quixote will find faith in.
Although we might view Aldonza as a whore and a low-life, somehow Don Quixote (entering after It’s All The Same) sees her as an angel, and names her “Sweet lady...fair virgin...Dulcinea” even after she tells him repeatedly her name is Aldonza. This is the moment where Don Quixote expresses his perception of Aldonza in the song “Dulcinea”. He sings “I see heaven when I see thee…Dulcinea. And thy name is like a prayer an angel whispers…Dulcinea”
The story switches focus, and turns to Alonso Quijana’s family as the seek help from Padre at the local church. They sing “I’m Only Thinking of Him”, when in reality, their purposes and intents for healing Alonso are in fact, selfish. Antonia does not want a crazy uncle, especially when she is about to be married to Dr. Carrasco. She sings, “Oh, I dearly love my uncle but for what he’s done to me, I would like to take and lock him up and throw away the key.” This song reveals that since Don Quixote’s family has no faith in him, he must either get it from himself or his squire, Sancho Panza.
Again, the story changes direction as we return to the Inn where that night, Aldonza speaks to Sancho about his master. She asks, “Why do you follow him?” which Sancho can only respond with, “I like him…I really like him!” along with a long list of things that you could do to him (barbecue his nose, make a giblet of his toes, etc.) and he would still say that he likes him. There is obviously no superficial basis for why Sancho is so devoted to his master (e.g. money, fame, etc.) but merely the unequaled trust in his master.
Aldonza doesn’t understand this faith at this point, but she nonetheless questions why Don Quixote does the things he does as she sings, “What Does He Want of Me?” This is an important song, because it begins her understanding of Don Quixote’s faith.
The following morning, we find Don Quixote with the Muleteers singing as they stroll around the Inn, “Little Bird, Little Bird".As Don Quixote leaves, the Muleteers surround Aldonza and begin to bother her. We then realize that Aldonza understands more and more Don Quixote’s faith and is growing into her role of Dulcinea more, since she becomes protective of the missive he sent her the night before.
The story changes focus to Don Quixote and Sancho on the road leading away from the Inn, where they meet a local barber, “The Barber’s Song” with his shaving basin. Don Quixote in his insanity, mistakes the shaving basin for a grand helmet…”The Golden Helmet of Mambrino”. This song emphasizes Don Quixote’s faith even more because he can not only find the goodness in people, but also in objects.
Padre, a man of Faith, is one of the only people who see that this illusion that Alonso sees could actually be good. In “To Each His Dulcinea”, he describes that every man has something that he holds most important in the world, and this Dulcinea may be Aldonza.
The story continues with Aldonza questioning Don Quixote as to why he follows illusions. He responds with the answer in the form of song, “The Impossible Dream”, which captures, above all else, his sense of faith. He sings, “And the world will be better for this, that one man scorned and covered with scars, still strove with his last ounce of courage, to reach the unreachable stars!”
After this, Don Quixote must leave the castle-inn, but not before he is dubbed a knight. In “Knight of the Woeful Countenance”, the Innkeeper, Aldonza, and Sancho all join in on this joyous occasion of Don Quixote’s knighting. The belief that Don Quixote had in them is growing more and more apparent.
However, the Muleteers will not stand by and watch their prostitute converted, and they corner and rape Aldonza in “The Abduction”. This attack seriously harms Aldonza so much that she loses all faith in herself and Don Quixote’s quest as she sings “Aldonza” to Don Quixote. She will not stand to listen to ravings of nobility and says “I am not a lady…I am not any kind of a lady!”
Even more challenges await Don Quixote! Dr. Carrasco, intent to cure Alonso of his madness, decides to dress as the Knight of the Mirrors so that he may conquer “Don Quixote de La Mancha.” After a great battle, The Knight of the Mirrors finally breaks down Alonso, and he crumples to the floor.
Sancho, being the last of the trio to still retain his faith, looks to the broken Alonso Quijana to try and find a scrap of that person whom he used to follow. He tries to bring this out by telling him “A Little Gossip”.
Miraculously, it works! Alonso Quijana remembers his identity as Don Quixote and reclaims the faith in the world that he used to have. In the “Final Sequence: Death of Alonso Quijana” we see a group of people with such faith in each other, (Dulcinea, Sancho Panza, and Don Quixote de La Mancha) that nothing could break them apart…except for Don Quixote’s failing health. In his last words, he utters, “Onward to glory I go…”
Though this may seem to be the end, Aldonza refuses to revert to her old self. Alonso’s faith has penetrated so far into her that she takes a new name, “my name is Dulcinea.”
So, in conclusion, Don Quixote’s faith in his crazy world of knights and chivalry helped him to see the good in other people and to grow faith in them. Aldonza, Sancho, the Innkeeper, and even Padre all received this glorious gift.
List of Musical Numbers
1. Man of La Mancha (I, Don Quixote)
2. It's All The Same
3. Dulcinea
4. I'm Only Thinking Of Him
5. We're Only Thinking Of Him
6. I Really Like Him
7. What Does He Want Of Me?
8. Little Bird, Little Bird
9. Barber's Song
10. Golden Helmet Of Mambrino
11. To Each His Dulcinea
12. The Impossible Dream
13. Knight Of The Woeful Countenance
14. Aldonza
15. Knight Of The Mirrors
16. I'm Only Thinking Of Him (Reprise)
17. A Little Gossip
18. Final Sequence: Death Of Alonso Quijana
19. Finale
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