Socrates said that “the only true wisdom was knowing that you know nothing.” In Coelho’s novel, how is Santiago able to gain wisdom and knowledge?
When judging wisdom, one should not look at their wrinkled faces but rather at the actions and words that they exhibit instead. Santiago is an intriguing character who, before his exhibition, appears to have a natural curiosity about life and the world around him. Santiago is a simple shepherd with a dream of finding treasure in Egypt, a faraway land where he has never been. Santiago gains wisdom and knowledge from his various experiences as he travels through the world on his journey. During his journey, he meets King Melchizedek as well as the alchemist and the camel driver. Santiago receives assistance from all three of these individuals in realizing his life's purpose and figuring out how he can get to the treasure and fulfill his legend. It was Socrates who said it best, 'the only true wisdom was knowing that you know nothing.'
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King Melchizedek is an excellent example of a novel character who has a significant impact on the plot. At that point, King Melchizedek informs Santiago of the greatest lie in the world: 'that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate.' In this way, Santiago is encouraged because it allows him to be the sculptor of his own life rather than relying solely on a higher power to control all aspects of his life. Santiago also receives information from King Melchizedek, who advises him to look for the treasure near the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt and to follow the omens and signs to locate it. Santiago is greatly encouraged by this because the Romani woman is the only other person who is aware of the treasure's existence aside from him. He believes she is pulling some sort of prank on him, but when he sees the king's jewels, he realizes that he is not with her after all. Later, he asks him for a tenth of his sheep, and Santiago departs for Tangiers with the sheep.
In the course of his journey through North Africa, Santiago is robbed by a man. Later, he comes across the crystal merchant, who attempts to warn him about the thief's whereabouts. When Santiago has finished cleaning his cups, he immediately goes to work working for the merchant. This is where Santiago tells the merchant about his dream, and it is here that Santiago discovers that the merchant has a dream of his own. The pilgrimage to Mecca is a long-held dream of mine. Unfortunately, the merchant is apprehensive and does not want to be robbed while on his journey to Mecca. He prefers to daydream about being at the Kaba rather than being at the Kaba. Santiago gains wisdom from his story's deep regret and sorrow, which allows him to understand how fear interferes with people's goals. After that, Santiago comes face to face with the Englishman. This individual prefers to learn from books rather than through direct experience with the world. The Englishman introduces him to the alchemist, who accepts his invitation. An alchemist is a man who possesses extraordinary knowledge and wisdom. He has played a significant role in the growth and development of Santiago. The alchemist teaches the young boy that he must learn to separate himself from his desire for certain things. In addition, he instructs Santiago on the soul and language of the entire world. This wisdom is ingrained in Santiago; he learns that love is without measure and that whatever his heart desires, the universe will provide it for him. For as long as it is his legend, the universe will assist him in preserving it. He teaches Santiago how to live his life by his ambitions and pursue them with all of his heart, love, and enthusiasm. This is the central theme of the alchemist's story. Overall, the alchemist plays one of the most significant moral roles in the story, assisting Santiago in his development as a spiritual individual.
An important character in this story is the camel driver. He is an example of how wisdom can be gained quickly and how omens can be discerned through one's interactions with other people and nature. The camel driver teaches Santiago the value of patience. The camel driver, like Santiago, spends the majority of his time with animals and gains knowledge from the animals. Due to his background as a shepherd, Santiago can relate to the driver. Camel fatigue manifests itself in the form of an unannounced sit-down. As a result of this scenario, the driver will have to be patient and wait for the camel to recover. Santiago is informed of his legend by the driver. Before this occurrence, he was the owner of an orchard and had traveled to Mecca on pilgrimage. He claims that he had the impression that he could die happily. Moments later, an earthquake triggered a major flood that destroyed his property, prompting him to seek employment as a camel driver. A foreshadowing occurs here because the audience later discovers that the treasure is hidden beneath a fallen sycamore tree near an abandoned church. Santiago discovers that every challenge is a gift from God and that each challenge leads to the creation of a personal legend. Santiago is told by the camel driver to stay in the present moment and that he will be content if he does so. Because he taught Santiago the importance of living in the present and never having to worry about the future, he is a good example of how to overcome fear in the story. This character assists Santiago in his quest to reach the pyramids and gain more wisdom and understanding.
'The only true wisdom,' Socrates once said, 'was knowing that you know nothing.' Santiago embarks on his journey with only a sense of curiosity, having no prior knowledge of the customs, events, or time frame of the exhibition he will encounter. Santiago can gain wisdom and knowledge in this way because he is an open-minded individual who learns from his interactions with others and his own experiences. His journey is long, and he meets several influential people throughout the novel. During his journey, he meets King Melchizedek as well as the alchemist and the camel driver. With the help of omens and signs as well as wisdom and knowledge, these three people here truly enable Santiago to grow and achieve his legend.
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