O DOM QUIXOTE DE ANTÔNIO JOSÉ DA SILVA, AS MARIONETES DO BAIRRO ALTO E AS PRISÕES DA INQUISIÇÃO

Abstract:

This study of the play Vida do grande Dom Quixote de la Mancha e do gordo Sancho Pança by Antônio José da Silva connects three histories: the history of theatrical adaptations of the second part of Dom Quixote; the history of a frequently neglected theatrical practice, that of the marionette theater, situated between popular entertainement and the opera; and the history of a playwright, who was tried three times by the Inquisition, and endured the painful condition of conversos coping with their intimate beliefs and the permanent suspicion of inquisitors. The tragical destiny of Antônio José da Silva offers a drastic example of the question bearing upon the relationship between life experiences and the works themselves.

Keywords: Antonio José da Silva; Dom Quixote; Marionette theater; Inquisition; New-christians