Don Quixote Ch. 91: Malambruno and the Bearded

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Malambruno and the Bearded Duennas

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Summary

Sancho's interruptions delight the duchess and madden Don Quixote as Trifaldi continues. After much questioning the Vicar rules for Don Clavijo, and Antonomasia is delivered as his lawful wife. Queen Maguncia takes it so to heart that within three days they bury her. Sancho asks whether she might only have swooned, since with life a great many things come right, and a match with an elegant gentleman is not the same as marrying a page. Trifaldin says they do not bury living people in Kandy. Don Quixote agrees that errant knights, with two fingers' breadth of fortune, may become kings, and bids the bitter part proceed.

The bitter part is Malambruno, Maguncia's enchanter cousin, who appears on a wooden horse over the fresh grave. To revenge the queen, punish Clavijo, and answer Antonomasia's contumacy, he turns her into a brass ape and him into a metal crocodile, with a Syriac pillar between them saying only the valiant Manchegan, in single combat, can free them. He seizes Trifaldi by the hair as if to shear her head with a scimitar, then stays the blow.

He spares the duennas' heads but condemns them to civil death. Their faces prickle as if with needles and sprout beards. The veils rise on bristling red, black, white, and grizzled hair. Trifaldi asks what father will pity a bearded duenna, and faints at the thought.

In this chapter: Terms Characters Key Quotes Modern Story

Why This Matters

Reading When a Story Ends by Naming You

Trifaldi resumes after Sancho's asides: the Vicar favours Clavijo, the queen dies, and Malambruno enchants the lovers with an inscription reserving single combat for the valiant Manchegan. Malambruno, Maguncia's enchanter cousin, appears on a wooden horse and turns Antonomasia into a brass ape and Clavijo into a metal crocodile on the grave, with Syriac words saying only the valiant Manchegan in single combat can free them.

Notice when a performed lament becomes a quest assigned to one knight alone.

This chapter

Inside the Mind: The duchess

Sancho's asides leave the duchess "as much delighted" as they leave Quixote "driven to desperation." She is not waiting for the quest to be named. She is already enjoying the split between the knight who needs the tale straight and the squire who keeps breaking it.

Continue this thoughtPart II Steals the Authorship

Coming Up in Chapter 92

Cide Hamete praises his own scrupulous narration, then Sancho curses Malambruno for bearding sinners instead of cutting noses. The duennas say they even pluck sticking-plasters to shave, and cannot afford barbers without Don Quixote's help.

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Chapter 91

Malambruno and the Bearded Duennas

IN WHICH THE TRIFALDI CONTINUES HER MARVELLOUS AND MEMORABLE STORY By every word that Sancho uttered, the duchess was as much delighted as Don Quixote was driven to desperation. He bade him hold his tongue, and the Distressed One went on to say: “At length, after much questioning and answering, as the princess held to her story, without changing or varying her previous declaration, the Vicar gave his decision in favour of Don Clavijo, and she was delivered over to him as his lawful wife; which the Queen Doña Maguncia, the Princess Antonomasia’s mother, so took to heart, that within…

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Malambruno and the Bearded Duennas

Summary

Why This Matters