Sancho the Simpleton

"..Even though he'd read the first volume of his master's history he'd never believed that Sancho was as funny as he's depicted there; but when he heard him talk about a will and codicil that couldn't be resinned instead of a will and codicil that couldn't be rescinded, he believed everything he'd read about him, and set him down as one of the greatest simpletons of modern times, and thought to himself that two such madmen as this master and servant could never have been seen before on the face of the earth."  Miguel de Cervantes' Don Quixote- PG 531

In this quote, there are different frames of reference that overlap and enhance the reader's experience.  The graduate Sanson Carrasco who has read the book (first part) about the adventures of Don Quixote is amazed by the fact that Sancho really is as hilarious as he is depicted in the book.  However, we are reading the book about the book that is very funny, and in both books, Sancho is equally hilarious.This quote emphasizes the fact that this is a book about reading books, which is a new and interesting idea that is one of the reasons why it is so famous.

The way that Sanson Carrasco describes Sancho as one of "the greatest simpletons" perfectly captures the squire's nature and his description of Sancho made me chuckle just thinking about the many time he has said or done things in this manner. His illiteracy and common sense combined make him a character worth examining.