Who Is Mercedes in Don Quixote Ballet?

Ballet

Mercedes is a character in the ballet Don Quixote. She is the daughter of the wealthy merchant Camacho, who has arranged for a lavish wedding for her with the rich man Basilio. Mercedes is not interested in marrying Basilio and instead she falls in love with Don Quixote’s squire Sancho Panza.

Mercedes is quite a complex character as she is torn between two worlds; that of wealth and status, represented by Camacho and Basilio, and that of adventure, represented by Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. She longs to escape from her father’s plans for her, but at the same time, she does not want to hurt him or disappoint him by running away with Sancho Panza.

In some productions of Don Quixote ballet, Mercedes’ role is expanded more than what it originally was; where she becomes an important figure in Don Quixote’s quest to restore justice and right wrongs. In these versions of the story, Mercedes helps out the pair by rescuing them from danger or supplying them with food and shelter on their travels. This serves to add further complexity to her character as it demonstrates her loyalty to both worlds; that of Camacho’s wealth and status and that of adventure.

The most important thing about Mercedes’ role in Don Quixote is that she represents hope for both herself and for others like her who are stuck between two worlds; hope that one can find a way to reconcile these two conflicting worlds in order to find true happiness.

Conclusion: Mercedes is an important character in the Don Quixote ballet as she represents those who are stuck between two conflicting worlds: wealth and status on one side, and adventure on the other. Through her interactions with Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, she shows that it is possible to reconcile these two opposites in order to find true happiness.