Sancho Panza
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(May 2010) |
| Sancho Panza | |
|---|---|
| Don Quixotecharacter | |
 | |
| Created by | Miguel de Cervantes |
| Portrayed by | Irving Jacobson Tony Martinez Bob Hoskins Ernie Sabella James Coco Jacob Batalon |
| In-universe information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Title | Hidalgo |
| Occupation | Peasant/Squire |
| Spouse | Teresa Cascajo de Panza |
| Children | María Sancha Panza Cascajo, Sanchico |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Nationality | Spanish |
Sancho Panza(Spanish:[ˈsantʃoˈpanθa]) is a fictional character in the novelDon Quixotewritten bySpanishauthorMiguel de Cervantes Saavedrain 1605. Sancho acts assquireto Don Quixote and provides comments throughout the novel, known assanchismos,that are a combination of broad humour, ironicSpanish proverbs,and earthy wit. "Panza" in Spanish means "belly" (cf. English "paunch," Italian "pancia", several Italian dialects "panza", Portuguese and Galician "pança", French "panse", Romanian "pântec", Catalan "panxa" ).
Don Quixote[edit]
Before a fit of madness turnedAlonso Quijanointo Don Quixote, Sancho Panza was indeed his servant. When the novel begins, Sancho has been married for a long time to a woman named Teresa Cascajo[1]and has a daughter, María Sancha (also named Marisancha, Marica, María, Sancha, and Sanchica), who is said to be old enough to be married. Sancho's wife is described more or less as a feminine version of Sancho, both in looks and behaviour. When Don Quixote proposes Sancho to be his squire, neither he nor his family strongly oppose it.
Sancho is illiterate and proud of it but by influence of his new master, he develops considerable knowledge about some books. Sancho provides the earthy wisdom of Spanish proverbs, surprising his master. During the travels with Don Quixote, he keeps contact with his wife by dictating letters addressed to her.
Sancho Panza offers interpolated narrative voice throughout the tale, a literary convention invented by Cervantes. Sancho Panza is precursor to "thesidekick,"and is symbolic of practicality over idealism. Sancho is theeveryman,who, though not sharing his master's delusional "enchantment" until late in the novel, remains his ever-faithful companion realist, and functions as the clever sidekick. Salvador de Madariagadetected that, as the book progresses, there is a "Quixotization" of Sancho and a "Sanchification" of Don Quixote, so much that, when the knight recovers sanity on his deathbed, it is Sancho who tries to convince him to becomepastoral shepherds.
In the novel, Don Quixote comments on the historical state and condition ofAragónandCastilla,which are vying for power in Europe. Sancho Panza represents, among other things, the quintessentially Spanish brand of skepticism of the period.
Sancho obediently follows his master, despite being sometimes puzzled by Quixote's actions. Riding a donkey, he helps Quixote get out of various conflicts while looking forward to rewards ofaventurathat Quixote tells him of.
Don Quixote, Part Two[edit]
Sancho's name[edit]
Cervantes variously names Sancho in the first book Sancho Zancas (legs); however, in the second book, he standardizes Sancho's name in reply to the"false" Avellaneda Quixote sequel.At one point, Sancho alludes to the "false" Avellaneda book by addressing his wife (standardized as Teresa Panza) using the wrong name. The Sancho name does not change, but he calls his wife various names throughout the first part of the volume, and her 'true' name is not revealed until almost the end of that portion of the novel.
The promised insula[edit]
Don Quixote promises Sancho the governance of anínsula,orisland.However, Sancho has never heard of this word before and does not know its meaning. Sancho has long been expecting some vague but concrete reward for this adventure and believes the word to signify the prize that will make the trouble he has been enduring worthwhile.
The two later encounter a duke and duchess who pretend to make Sancho governor of a fictionalfief,la ínsula Barataria(roughly "Isle Come-cheaply"; seeCockaigne). He eagerly accepts and leaves his master. In a letter, Don Quixote gives Sancho provincial advice ongovernorshipgleaned from the romances he has read, thought to have been inspired by theDiálogo de Mercurio y Carónattributed toAlfonso de Valdés(c. 1490-1532). Cervantes may intend Quixote's simplistic and romantic understanding of government as anallegory[2] satirizing the lack of practical learning on the part of philosopher-doctors placed in positions of power.[citation needed]One view sees the advice as a "serio-comic twist onMachiavelli's advice for nonhereditary rulers who newly acquire kingdoms ".[3]
The Duke's servants are instructed to play several pranks upon Sancho. Surprisingly, Sancho is able to rule justly (mostly), applying common (if occasionally inconsistent) sense and practical wisdom in spite of - or because of - the simplistic advice that Don Quixote has read about. As Sancho is abused in these stagedparodies,he learns how difficult it is to rule, and "resigns" to rejoin Don Quixote and to continue the adventure.
Ricote[edit]
Sancho encountersRicote( "fat cat" ), his formerMorisconeighbor, who has buried a small fortune. Ricote, like all Moriscos, was expelled from Spain and has returned in disguise to retrieve the treasure he left behind. He asks Sancho for his help. Sancho, while sympathetic, refuses to betray his king.
When Don Quixote takes to his deathbed, Sancho tries to cheer him. Sancho idealistically proposes they becomepastoralshepherds and thus becomes 'Quixotized'.
Other appearances of the character[edit]
Broadway musical[edit]
In addition to stage and screen adaptations of the novel itself, Sancho Panza is a major character in theplay within a playin the Broadway musicalMan of La Mancha,and in the film of the same name. InMan of La Mancha,the newly imprisoned Cervantes recruits his fellow prisoners to portray characters from his novel, with Cervantes himself playing Don Quixote and his manservant playing Sancho. Sancho sings the title song as a duet with Quixote, solos "The Missive", "I like him", and "A Little Gossip", plus ensemble numbers "Golden Helmet of Mambrino" and "The Dubbing". Actors who have played Sancho in the play includeIrving Jacobson(who also sang on the original cast album),Tony Martinez(1977 and 1992 revivals), andErnie Sabella(2002 revival).James Cocoplayed the character in the1972film.
Ship[edit]
Sancho Panzaof Boston was an 1855medium clipper shipof 876 tons, built inMedford,MA by Samuel Lapham, and owned by John E. Lodge & Co. The ship was renamedNimrodin 1863, upon sale to British owners, resold to German owners, and re-rigged as abark.Sancho Panzawas bound for Liverpool, having leftPictou,N.S. on Oct. 31, 1890, but was not heard from again.[4]
Additional appearances[edit]
- The Sancho Panza name is used for acigar brand originating in Cubain 1852. While it is still made in Cuba, a Honduran version made by General Cigar was introduced in 2001 for the United States market.
- Panza is depicted in Pablo Picasso's 1955 drawingDon Quixote.
- InThe Stranglers' song "No More Heroes",as well as a song entitled" Sancho Panza "by the Swedishtwee popgroupHello Saferide.The name was also featured in the Bush track titled "Monkey" from the album Sixteen Stone.
- The proposed name of a part of the plannedDon Quijotespace probe is "Sancho". Sancho would stand back and observe while the second part, "Hidalgo",slammed into an asteroid.[5]
- Sancho Panza is parodied as Sancho Panda, thepandasidekick inThe Adventures of Don Coyote and Sancho PandabyHanna-Barbera.
- Sancho Panza is a character in the tone poemDon QuixotebyRichard Strauss,in which he is represented by the solo viola, as well as the tenor tuba and bass clarinet playing in unison.
- Sancho Panza is the main character inThe Musical Sancho PanzabyJosé Luis Narom,premiered in Madrid in 2005.
- Sancho Panza is parodied as Sancho Pansa in a Super Nintendo Entertainment System game titledJimmy Connors Pro Tennis.
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^Also known as Teresa Panza andSancha,a probable nickname derived from her husband's name. Later in the book, though, she is sometimes named Juana Gutiérrez, in an example ofcontinuityfailure.
- ^
Pyburn, K. Anne (2006). "Sanchismo". InLöfgren, Orvar;Wilk, Richard R. (eds.).Off the Edge: Experiments in Cultural Analysis.Ethnologia Europaea - volume 35. Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanum Press. p. 151.ISBN9788763505093.Retrieved13 July2023.
Don Quixote can be understood as irrational, possibly insane, or rational, possibly allegorical, but most likely both.
- ^
Triplette, Stacey (16 February 2021). "Cervantes's Sources and Influences". In Kahn, Aaron M. (ed.).The Oxford Handbook of Cervantes.Oxford Handbooks Series. Oxford University Press. p. 502.ISBN9780198742913.Retrieved13 July2023.
[...] island of Barataria as a 'serio-comic twist on Machiavelli's advice for nonhereditary rulers who newly acquire kingdoms [...].
- ^ Gleason, Hall (1937).Old Ships and Ship-Building Days of Medford.Medford, MA: J.C. Miller. p. 78.
- ^"Impacting into the asteroid - Don Quijote concept".ESA NEO.Retrieved22 September2010.
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