Four Plays of Gil Vicente

by Gil Vicente

Gil Vicente, the court dramatist of Portugal in the early sixteenth century, is often called the father of Portuguese theater. This edition, prepared by the Hispanist Aubrey F. G. Bell and first printed in the Modern Language Review, gives four of his plays in the original Portuguese with Bell's English version alongside: the Auto da Alma, an allegory of the soul's journey; the Exhortação da Guerra, a patriotic call to arms; the Farsa dos Almocreves, a comedy of mule drivers and a penniless nobleman; and a pastoral tragicomedy of the Serra da Estrela. A long introduction on Vicente's life, ideas and influence is followed by notes, a list of proverbs and a bibliography. The full text is available to read online in your browser on Vinteuil, and the first act is free.