Quiz questions
Don Quixote
Miguel de Cervantes
Reading comprehension quiz questions for Don Quixote — use them as a reading-check starter, a self-study tool, or a quick assessment. Answers are included below each question.
**Quiz Question: *Don Quixote* by Miguel de Cervantes** What is the main reason Don Quixote believes he should become a knight-errant at the start of the novel? A) The King of Spain commands him to protect the kingdom from invaders. B) After reading too many chivalric romances, he has gone mad and feels it's his duty to bring back knight-errantry. C) He wants to take revenge on a nobleman who harmed his family. D) He aims to win Dulcinea del Toboso's hand in a royal tournament. **Correct Answer: B** *Explanation: In Part I, Cervantes shows that Don Quixote (Alonso Quijano) has lost touch with reality due to his obsession with chivalric romances. Believing the world needs knights-errant, he puts on makeshift armor and sets off to achieve heroic feats, which highlights the novel's key theme of illusion versus reality.*
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**Quiz Question: *Don Quixote* by Miguel de Cervantes** What primarily drives Don Quixote to decide to become a knight-errant? A) He is commissioned by the King of Spain to defend the realm against invaders. B) He reads so many chivalric romances that he loses touch with reality and believes he must bring back the era of knight-errantry. C) He falls in love with a noblewoman named Dulcinea del Toboso and vows to win her hand through heroic deeds. D) He is visited by a vision of a knight in shining armor who commands him to take up arms. **Correct Answer: B** *Explanation:* Cervantes makes it clear that Don Quixote (Alonso Quijano) becomes so engrossed in chivalric books that he loses his grasp on reality and truly believes he must embark on a quest as a knight-errant to correct injustices and protect the helpless. Dulcinea (option C) is a character he creates *after* making this choice, not the reason for it.
ap_lit · ib_lang_lit · common_core_ela · aqa
**Quiz Question: *Don Quixote* by Miguel de Cervantes** What is the main reason Don Quixote confuses ordinary objects and people with fantastical enemies and noble figures throughout the novel? A) He suffers from a physical illness that affects his vision. B) He has read so many chivalric romances that he has lost touch with reality and believes he is a knight-errant. C) He is pretending to entertain his squire, Sancho Panza. D) He is under a magical curse imposed by the enchanter Frestón. **Correct Answer: B** *Explanation:* Cervantes makes it clear in Part I that Alonso Quijano (Don Quixote) has read so many chivalry books that he's lost his grip on reality. He truly thinks he is a knight-errant on a noble quest, leading him to mistake windmills for giants, inns for castles, and peasants for noble ladies.
ap_lit · ib_lang_lit · common_core_ela · aqa
These quiz questions are part of Storgy's free teacher toolkit for Don Quixote. For a full study guide with chapter summaries, characters, themes, and key quotes, visit the Don Quixote study guide. To browse quiz questions for other works, return to the Quiz Questions hub.