The Delusion of Enchantment in Miguel Cervantes’s Don Quixote and William Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream

Abstract

The aim of the present article is to investigate the conceptual framework of magic and enchantment in the works of Miguel Cervantes de Saavedra and William Shakespeare. The works chosen for this comparative study are Don Quixote and Midsummer Night’s Dream. Shakespeare and Cervantes portray an ironic vision that may seem comic and grotesque on the surface, but in fact shows a violent and malign world. The portrayal of fantasy and realism parallel with the delusionary aspects of enchantment create an interplay between the ironic mockery and reality as seen through the experiences of the characters themselves. The delusions of enchantment experienced by the protagonists present a flawed world where jealousy, greed and corruption prevail.

Keywords

• magical delusion
• enchantment
• shakespearean comedy
• mockery
• quixotic irony