Gil Vicente’s Cortes de Jupiter: Some Reading Notes

Abstract

The Portuguese playwright and poet Gil Vicente is celebrated as one of Western literature greatest playwrights, as well as the most important dramatic author of Portuguese literature. Cortes de Jupiter (1521) is an excellent example of his unique style and one of his most fascinating plays. This article is intended to analyse some excerpts of this work, that deal with such themes as the representation of crown prince D. João, the presence of a Moorish female character and of her peculiar jargon, the wedding of the infanta Beatriz that gave Vicente the opportunity to stage his play.