Perché Maria è Parda? Intorno al nome di un personaggio di Gil Vicente

Abstract

Portuguese playwright and poet, Gil Vicente, is acclaimed as one of Western literature’s greatest writers, as well as being the foremost dramatic author of Portuguese literature. Pranto de Maria Parda is an excellent specimen of his unique style, and one of his most fascinating works. The female protagonist is an old drunkard faced with a problem: wine is so scarce and expensive that she fears she will die of thirst. This article highlights the relevance of an onomastic study of the Pranto, focusing particularly on an analysis of the leading character’s name: «Maria Parda».