Recounting the adventures of Don Quixote and his faithful squire, Sancho Panza, Cervantes' satirical romance (1605-1615) is one of the most enduringly popular classics ever written. The work was originally planned as a moral fable, using parody to attack chivalry romances and the pernicious effect they had on readers. In the course of writing, however, the characters gain depth and complexity and the burlesque form Cervantes had originally adopted gives way to a more subtle and powerful humour.