This is my friend Durandarte, flower and mirror of the true lovers and valiant knights of his time. He is held enchanted here, as I myself and many others are, by that French enchanter Merlin, who, they say, was the devil's son; but my belief is, not that he was the devil's son, but that he knew, as the saying is, a point more than the devil.
In Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra's "Don Quixote," the narrator describes his friend Durandarte, who symbolizes the essence of true love and courage among the knights of their era. Durandarte is depicted as enchanted, much like the narrator and others, by the powerful French sorcerer Merlin. This quote highlights the disparity between common beliefs and the narrator's own perspective regarding Merlin's origins.
The narrator suggests that Merlin's knowledge surpasses that of the devil, reinforcing the idea that magical abilities and wisdom do not always stem from malevolent sources. Through this reflection, Cervantes conveys themes of enchantment, heroism, and the interplay between reality and illusion, illustrating the complexities of human experience in a world filled with powerful figures like Merlin.
