Empty fathers and failing empires: the deconstruction of masculinity in Canto X
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11606/va.v0i33.140204Keywords:
empire, masculinity, Os LusíadasAbstract
The epic poem Os Lusíadas reflects mid-sixteenth century imperial masculinity as Camões narrates the deeds of Gama and his successors mainly in a glorifying way. However, the poet also expresses his worry about a loss of glory and an analogy may be drawn between effeminacy and the failing empire. Specifically, Canto IX and X hold a rhetorical encouragement for D. Sebastião to be a “father” to his nation. This paper focuses particularly on the patrilineal construct and shows how kleos (heroic glory passed from father to son) during the imperial conquest becomes empty since patrilineality fails when fathers survive their sons, thereby revealing an empire under pressure.
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Copyright (c) 2018 Denise Saive Castro
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