Hear Me Now! A "Man of La Mancha" Quiz

Answer: For foreclosing on a Church

Cervantes, in order to keep from starvation, had taken a brief job as a tax collector. When a church refused to pay its taxes, Cervantes foreclosed on the property. Not a smart move under the Spanish Inquisition.

Answer: A manuscript

A manuscript, presumably that of "Don Quixote" was taken out of the trunk in the prisoners' raid of it. Because of the message he wanted to send with that piece of literature, he begs the Governor, who sees no value in it, not to burn it.

Answer: A fine of all his posessions

No prisoner leaves without being tried by his fellow prisoners. Everyone, naturally, is found guilty and is fined all their posessions.

Answer: The Duke

The Duke is a very serious, no nonsense man. He later takes on the role of Dr. Carrasco when Cervantes has sucked all the prisoners into participating in the play.

Answer: Cervantes's manservant

Naturally, the manservant is Sancho to Cervantes's Don Quixote. Sancho is Don Quixote's cheerful squire, always ready with a proverb and to help his confused master out.

Answer: An ogre

In one of the most famous scenes of all literature, Don Quixote charges at the windmill, thinking it is a "dark and dreaded ogre" that you can recognize by "the four great arms a-whirling on his back". Unfortunately for Don Quixote, the windmill easily wins this combat.

Answer: Matagoger

"Look! It is that dark and dreaded ogre, by the name of Matagoger!"

Answer: A cat on a tawny field with the inscription "meow"

Don Quixote, looking to get knighted, searches for a place where another knight or a Lord might reside. He yells out "Aha!" upon recognizing a "castle", which Sancho knows to be an inn. Don Quixote comments on the banners, bravely flaunting in the wind. Sancho asks if there is anything on them, and Don Quixote says "I see a cat on a field tawny...with the inscription 'meow'. Undoubtedly the insignia of some great lord."

Answer: Seven

There are seven greedy, amorous, and loud muleteers. These guys are busy herding their mules and giving Aldonza a very hard time. They have stopped at the same inn Don Quixote quickly approaches.

Answer: Jose

Jose is the youngest and smallest of the group. He tries to please Aldonza with a flower, which she says to "keep [it] until it grows up." He also arguably receives the worst beating during "The Combat".

Answer: a prayer an angel whispers

Don Quixote, convinced that Aldonza (who is merely a lowly kitchen girl and part time prostitute) is the woman for whom he dedicates all things, named Dulcinea, sings to her about her glory and how happy he is to have found her, saying "and thy name is like a prayer an angel whispers".

Answer: Padre

The man chosen to be the Padre giggles with delight at his role, but Cervantes reminds him that a religious man must be serious.

Answer: Sanson

Dr. Sanson Carrasco, played by the Duke, a man who is embarassed by his soon to be uncle-in-law, Alonso Quijana. Quijana, driven to madness by old age and too much reading, has become convinced that he is the knight Don Quixote. He has also foolishly run out on some sort of quest. Dr. Carrasco, recognizing a challenge (as well as wealth and property), and the Padre set out to find Quijana and cure him of this strange madness.

Answer: He likes him

After giving Aldonza a love missive from Don Quixote, she questions Sancho why he follows the mad knight everywhere. Sancho sings, "I like him".

Answer: Old Hack and Little Burro

While feeding (and strangely, talking to) the horses, Aldonza refers to them by the names Old Hack and Little Burro.

Answer: Perez

When Dr. Carrasco and the Padre arrive at the inn, Don Quixote recognizes them. He also refers to the Padre as "Padre Perez".

Answer: Mambrino

Don Quixote attacks a poor barber, mistaking the shaving basin he's wearing on his head for the legendary golden helmet of Mambrino. Wearing it renders the wearer invincible.

Answer: True

Don Quixote's "Impossible Dream" is the only one of the three sung in the show that contains those lyrics.

Answer: Pedro attacking Aldonza

Pedro had been kept waiting by Aldonza, who was listening to Don Quixote talk about his quest. Furious, he shoves Aldonza to the ground. Don Quixote springs into action by stabbing Pedro's butt. Pedro summons the muleteers, and fighting begins. Don Quixote, Sancho, and Aldonza somehow get lucky in the fighting due to mishaps and movements at just the right moment.

Answer: To tend to their wounds

After their victory, Don Quixote says he must tend to the wounds of his enemies. But he is very wounded himself, so Aldonza offers to do it for him ("they were my enemies too"). Unfortunately for her, she is thanked with rape and abduction.

Answer: Anselmo

While the other muleteers beat and rape Aldonza, Anselmo stands over and taunts her with song.

Answer: The Knight of the Mirrors section

"Aldonza" and the Moorish Dance are both before the manuscript ends. The character of Don Quixote does not give the speech on seeing life as it should be; Cervantes does, in reality. Right after the Knight of the Mirrors, the prisoners ask about the ending: thus far, it is the ending.

Answer: Story

Before this point in the show, whenever the Governor has told Cervantes to continue, he always referred to it as his "defense". So moved are the prisoners, that he now refers to it as his story.

Answer: go

Aldonza revives Don Quixote from within Alonso Quijana by reminding him of the quest. Happier than ever, Don Quixote, joined by Aldonza and Sancho, renders a reprise of "I, Don Quixote". As he sings the final lyrics "onward to glory I go", he collapses to the floor, dead. In my opinion, one of the saddest moments in musical theatre.

Answer: False

Aldonza is convinced that Don Quixote is not dead, but rather he lives on in her beliefs. When Sancho questions her with "Aldonza...?" she replies "My name is Dulcinea."