Don Quixote

First Part, Chapter V, pg. 43
"'I know who I am' replied Don Quixote, 'and I know I can be not only those I have mentioned but the Twelve Peers of France as well, and even all the nine paragons of Fame, for my deeds will surpass all those they performed , together or singly.'"

As for me, I wish I had the confidence of Don Quixote. I liked the sound of this passage, first of all, then I read the footnotes, telling me of the knights to whom Don Quixote compared himself. The farmer is correcting Don Quixote's identity, but really, only an individual can know one's self. This part gave his character a lucidity for me, depth to the Don surrounded in madness. Even if there seems to be no distinction between himself and the fictional (I think) knights that appeared in The Song of Roland. This is another example of Don Quixote making his own reality, which is seen as insane by his family, by everyone. For me, that's the best part of this novel; I root for him, although he's a little crazy, because few else do.