Giving an Account Who the Knight of the Mirrors and His Squire Were.
The curate, the barber, and Samson Carrasco decided to overcome Don Quixote according to his own code. In the guise of a knight, Samson would vanquish the Don and order him to return to his own village for a period of two years, departing from town only with the victor's permission. Engaging Thomas Cecial as a squire, Samson followed along the road taken by Don Quixote and Sancho.
Now that the fight is over, Thomas Cecial insists on going home, while the bruised and vengeful Samson insists on continuing his quest until he has the satisfaction of vanquishing Don Quixote.
Commentary
This portrait of Samson, angry and sore from his fall, shows a sane man in a fit of passion—a dangerous, if temporary, madman. Cervantes plays further with this sketch of play-acting and genuineness, of truth and fantasy, as he costumes Samson in a coat of mirrors. The newcomers are mirror images of Don Quixote and Sancho but, like most reflections, are backwards. The squire Cecial is unfaithful to his master; the knight Carrasco pursues his chivalry for personal revenge. According to these events, then, it is the true madman who wins; the noble visionary is the one who inspires a faithful follower.
