Claims

Don Quixote undermines our experience of futility in the world by showing that although many of our aspirations are dashed, there is still a sort of spiritual grandeur attached to them—despite all our failings, our strivings are ennobling.

Don Quixote observes that in comedy and the world, people play different roles (emperors, popes, etc.) but when life ends, death strips all these roles away and renders all people equal in the grave—a pregnant observation about the ultimate equality of human mortality.

Don Quixote's essential goodness transcends his lunacy and foolishness; he maintains a fundamental integrity of character despite his madness, never being evil even when his actions cause harm unintentionally.

The final scene of Don Quixote's death is not truly tragic but pathetic, and one of the great commentators on comedy once noted that every great comedian can elicit pathos—the ability to make audiences cry is the litmus test of a great comedian.