Portuguese Studies

Abstract:

This article provides an analysis of the one-act play, Auto do frade, by Joo Cabral de Melo Neto, as a trope of the Passion of Christ, focusing particularly on the speeches of Frei Caneca in the poem. The analysis compares these speeches with the seven words of Christ on the cross, providing a new perspective on the play. The article demonstrates how the poet captures remarkable elements of the Carmelite mystical tradition and translates them into this dramatic poem. Finally, the article relates this poem to Cabral's earlier play Morte e vida severina, in which a dialogue with religious motifs is also evident.