Shakespeare as part of Álvares de Azevedo’s work

Abstract

The essay aims to assert the presence of Shakespeare in the work of the Brazilian romantic poet Álvares de Azevedo, not only as an inevitable part of any romantic praxis, but also as one of the authors that actually grant Azevedo’s work its characteristic face. Therefore, besides a brief examination of certain romantic manifestations, two paratexts will be examined in the poet’s oeuvre: the famous Preface to the second part of Lira dos vinte anos and “Puff”, the preface/prologue to Macário. In both texts the Elizabethan poet is the axis for an understanding of Álvares de Azevedo’s worldview as of his concept of the romantic literary work.