The story of the captive is not so fantastic as may be imagined, for Cervantes has included a great deal of his own biography in this narrative. Like the captive, Cervantes was a bagnio prisoner, awaiting ransom that his impoverished family could hardly hope to provide; Cervantes, as well, had attempted to escape many times, perhaps even by the same method described by the captive, Ruy Perez de Viedma.
The captive himself represents a noble follower of the profession of arms according to the virtues that Don Quixote expressed in his speech. The captain's brother (arriving in the next chapter) represents the successful man of letters. Zoraida, on the other hand, can be considered as the peerless Dulcinea del Toboso of the captive's life, for it is she who has inspired his heroism, just as Don Quixote's mistress inspires his.
