A. First Part (Chapters 1-8)

1. Alonso Quijano goes mad reading books of chivalry, decides to become a knight: prepares arms, names horse, himself and his lady

2. First sally of DQ (alone)

a. DQ is knighted by Innkeeper, Inn = Castle

b. Adventure of the merchants and return home.

c. Scrutiny of library

3. Second sally (Chap. 7, DQ and Sancho together, Sancho’s reward to be an island)

a. Adventure of the windmills (Sancho realizes DQ mad)

b. Adventure of the Biscayan, story suspended

B. Second Part (Chapters 9-14)

1. Cide Hamete Benengeli (true "author")

2. End of the adventure of the Biscayan

3. Episode of the shepherds

4. DQ's speech on the Golden Age

5. Idealized portrait of Dulcinea (Chap. 13)

6. Pastoril Novel of Marcela and Chrysostom

C. Third Part (Chapters 15-27; adventures predominate)

1. Adventure of the Yanguesians

2. Adventure of the herds (DQ sees two armies)

3. Adventure of the Dead Body

4. Adventure of the Fulling Hammers (Chap. 20)

5. The helmet of Mambrino (the barber's basin)

6. The Galley Slaves (parody of the picaresque novel)

7. Penitence in the Sierra Morena (imitates heroes of the chivalric novel)

D. Fourth Part (Chapters 28-52 predominance of intercalated, sometimes intertwined stories)

1. Dorothea (plays role of Princess Micomicona) and Don Fernando, Luscinda and Cardenio

2. Novel of the Impertinent Curiosity (Chaps. 33-35)

3. Adventure of the wineskins

4. DQ's speech on Arms and Letters

5. History of the Captive (autobiographical, Cervantes prisoner of turks for five years)

6. The captain and the judge

7. The muleboy and Clara

8. Enchantment of DQ, carried back in cart

9. Literary theories of the Canon

10. Return to home

A. Before third sally (Prologue, Chapters 1-7)

1. Prologue: reaction to Avellaneda's False Quixote

2. The Barber and the Priest see DQ still insane

3. The characters learn of the publication of the First Book of DQ, reactions, Cervantes as self-critic

B. Third Sally of DQ and Sancho (Chapters 8-29, to create more adventures for another book, DQ must reward Sancho with an island)

1. The enchantment of Dulcinea (Sancho uses the "enchantment" for own purposes) (Chap. 10)

2. The adventure of the cart of the Parliament of Death (Chap. 11)

3. DQ fights and wins the battle with the Knight of the Mirrors (or called Knight of the Wood)

4. The Knight of the Green Cloak (Don Diego de Miranda; from now on much of work takes place inside houses and palaces)

5. The adventure of the lions

6. History of Basilio and the wedding of Camacho (pastoral)

7. The cave of Montesinos

8. The adventure of the Braying

9. Master Pedro, the prophetic ape and the Marvelous Puppet Show

10. The enchanted boat

C. The Duke and Duchess (Chapters 30-57)

4. Sancho becomes governor of his "island"

5. Sancho and his old neighbor Ricote (criticism of the expulsion of the Moriscos from Spain)

D. DQ and Sancho on way to Zaragosa for jousts but decide to go to Barcelona instead (Chapters 58-60)

1. The pretend Arcadia (pastoril)

2. Adventure of the bulls

3. The Inn and criticism of the False Quijote (Chap. 59)

4. The bandits Roque and Jeronima

1. In house of Don Antonio Morena

2. The enchanted head

3. In the printing house (Chap. 62)

4. Visit to the galley ship (DQ's fear)

5. History of Ana Felix

6. Battle and defeat of DQ by the Knight of the White Moon (Sanson Carrasco) (Chapter 64; must pledge to return home and remain there for one year)

F. DQ and Sancho return home (Chapters 66-74)

1. DQ and Sancho decide to become shepherds (Chap. 67)

2. Adventure of the Hogs

3. Adventure of Altisidora and return to the palace of the Duke and Duchess

4. Sancho's whipping to disenchant Dulcinea

5. The Inn with don Alvaro Tarfe, character in Avellaneda's Falso Quixote (Chap. 72).

6. DQ falls ill, last Will and return to sanity before dying.