Is Don Quixote an idealist or a realist?

Don Quixote is most certainly an idealist. To quote the
words of the musical, he "dreams the impossible dream." While many of his desires are
realistic, his choice to pursue them and certainty in attaining them is
idealistic.

Some might consider Don Quixote insane, as he
really does go overboard with some of his actions. However, he can also be seen as
simply being self-indulgent. He has dreams he pursues, which is more than most of us can
say. He will pursue them at any cost. 

One of the most
important themes of the novel is love, which is important because often people become
overly idealistic when they follow love. There is an old saying that we see those we
love with rose colored glasses, and one could also say that Don Quixote sees the entire
world with rose colored glasses! Hence, he is the perfect
idealist.