> Known for his witty remarks while riding a donkey, Sancho Panza is a characterin which literary work? And the answer: Don Quixote.Written in the early 1600s by the Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes, DonQuixote is considered the first modern novel, as well as the most translatednovel of all time. Throughout the story, Sancho Panza makes observations to hisfriend that are a combination of ironic Spanish proverbs, broad humor, andpragmatic wit. Photo credit: public domain.The squat, lovable, witty Sancho Panza serves as afoil to the idealism of his master, Don Quixote. Many famous proverbs come fromPanza's character, as Cervantes used the disconnect between idealism and realismto explore its complex intersections. Cervantes used the two characters toultimately attempt to symbolize the duality of man, as their varied impulseswork together and conflict with one another. As Panza lovingly reminds us:> "Make yourself into honey and the flies will eat you up."Thanks, Panza. While other characters play along with and exploit the madness inDon Quixote’s world, Panza often lives in and adores it, sometimes gettingcaught up in the madness entirely. On the other hand, though, he's not aboveberating Don Quixote for his reliance on fantasy, as a character with two firmfeet on the ground at all times. Effectively, Panza humanizes the story,bringing the depth of compassion and poise to the forefront when Don Quixoteattempts to eschew such notions altogether. We'll leave Panza on this note:> “'Señor,' replied Sancho, 'if your grace thinks that I’m not right for thisgovernment, I’ll give it up right now. I love the tiniest part of my soul morethan my whole body, and I’ll survive simply as Sancho with bread and onions thana governor with partridges and capons. And what’s more, when they’re asleep,everyone is the same—the grandees and the little folk, the rich and the poor,and if you think about it, you’ll see that you alone made me start to thinkabout being a governor. I don’t know any more about governing ínsulas than avulture does, and if you think that if I become a governor the devil will carryoff my soul, I’d prefer to go to heaven as Sancho than to hell as a governor.'"