Cardenio: rich, smart, in love with Luscinda.
All good… until Don Fernando shows up.
Friend turns thief.
Sees the girl → decides he wants her → uses power to take her.
Cardenio watches it happen, helpless.
Luscinda tries, but can’t stop it.
👉 Heartbreak + betrayal = brain crash.
He doesn’t “go mad” out of nowhere —
he breaks because there’s no way to win.
Don Quixote: “A noble tragedy, I shall fix this.”
Sancho: “We are definitely not fixing this.”
One-liner:
Trusted a friend… lost the girl… lost his mind.