How do Don Quixote and Sancho Panza differ in their views of reality?

In Miguel de Cervantes's masterpiece, Don Quixote, the relationship between the titular knight and his squire, Sancho Panza, serves as a fundamental exploration of the conflict between the ideal and the real.1

Don Quixote represents mad idealism, guided by the images of perfection found in the chivalric romances he obsessively reads. His perception of the world is filtered through these literary fantasies, leading him to seek adventures as a knight-errant.123

In contrast, Sancho Panza acts as a foil to his master, grounded in common sense, vulgar wit, and a focus on material needs. While Don Quixote is often associated with a self-denying, ascetic outlook, Sancho is characterized by his appetite and a more pragmatic, materialist view of life. Cervantes uses these psychological differences to create a dynamic narrative; rather than remaining static opposites, their perspectives evolve throughout the novel, with their relationship shifting as Sancho gains independence in the second part of the work.124