O Reino da Estupidez em dois tempos: Leituras satíricas de Portugal através de um olhar brasileiro (Séc. XVIII) e outro português (Séc. XX)

Abstract

The Kingdom of Stupidity in two turns: satirical readings of Portugal through a brazilian viewpoint (XVIII th century) and a portugucsc one (XX eh century)
ln the year 1785, a young brazilian, Francisco de Melo Franco, composed a heroicomic poem entitled "Kingdom of Stupidity", in which the author shows, by means of a sharp satire, how, in the Portugal of his time, the Goddess Stupidicy reigncd, assistcd by che Furics - Envy, Anger, Fanaticism, Hypocrisy and Superstition. This work reflccts the poet's adhesion to the most subversive political ideas of the time, effectively responsible for his condemnation to the Inquisition cells, under the pretext of heresy.
This eighteenth century poem is considered by the portuguese writer Jorge de Sena as the "most significant (exemplification) of thc virtucs and flaws of luso-brazilianess", having been revisited by the author in his homonymous volume of essays The Kingdom ofStupidity, concluded in Brazil, in 1961. Here, the senian irony turns to the great changes, supposedly occurring in Portugal, where Intelligence had come to "reign", embodied by the scholars and academic learning itself.