Literature and identity/identities Literature and other arts King Pedro and Inês de Castro Brites de Almeida King John II “Portuguese Letters”

Throughout this course, it is expected that students will acquire the following key competencies:

• Grasp relevant aspects of the process of image construction of Portuguese historical figures (or those considered as such at some point) and the role played by literary production in that process;
• Problematize the complex relationships between the real, the plausible, and the fictional;
• Problematize the concept of \"national identity,\" both diachronically and synchronically;
• See the literary, artistic, and cultural production of the Modern Era as the model, subtext, or starting point, directly or indirectly, for later artistic and cultural productions.

The four modules that make up this course follow a standard scheme. The student begins by being confronted with the title of each module and with their expectations/knowledge. It is assumed that students know, at least, the names of the historical figures (or not so much...) whose representations structure the course and associate them with certain events or characteristics. The indicated pathway aims to lead the student to an awareness of the variability and historicization of the images associated with these figures and the role played in this process by Literature and other cultural expressions. Through the materials provided, the indicated pathway, and formative activities, students' perspectives will be directed toward this awareness.

A dual pathway is expected from the student. On the one hand, students should read the indicated texts or excerpts, also paying attention to the bibliography highlighted by the instructor. For each case, a set of specific characteristics or episodes will be particularly noted, which undergo changes throughout the texts and over time. Students should grasp these changes and correlate them with the type of text or the agents responsible for their production and the respective context. Through this pathway, students should also pay attention to how the texts and other cultural productions interact with each other, implicitly or explicitly. In each module, students are confronted with literary or artistic recreations of the same historical figures in different eras. Texts and artistic-cultural objects whose relationship with the studied subjects presents different nuances will be purposely chosen, some with immediately recognizable elements, others less so.

On the other hand, it is expected that the presented examples will serve as a starting point for the student's searches: what other texts or artistic-cultural productions have dealt with the figures under study? This pathway also aims to stimulate future inquiries or deeper investigations by the student. More than just the acquisition of content, it is expected that the student will gradually acquire and/or consolidate a critically oriented perspective on the (re)creation of images of the historical figures (or not so much) under study.

The modules that make up this course are as follows:

1. King Pedro and Inês de Castro
2. Brites de Almeida, the baker of Aljubarrota
3. King John II, the Prince… Perfect?
4. Mariana Alcoforado and the “Portuguese Letters”

Note: Given the characteristics of the program, the instructor will provide mandatory reading texts and other bibliographies in the virtual classroom, expecting students to actively seek out other texts and artistic objects related to the themes under study.

Among the main bibliography are the following titles: Texts:

• Garcia de Resende, “Trovas à morte de Inês de Castro” (various editions)
• Garcia de Resende, “Vida e feitos de D. João II,” ed. Evelina Verdelho (available online).
• “Episódios do reinado de D. João II num manuscrito do Palácio da Ajuda,” Revista Fragmenta Historica, num. 3. 2015 [Available online]
• Herberto Helder, \"Teorema\" in Os Passos em volta (various editions).
• João Miguel Fernandes Jorge, Crónica [Revised and expanded version of Da Crónica do Rei Pedro. Alguns Primeiros Capítulos], various editions.
• Lettres Portugaises. Various translations into Portuguese. The following is recommended: Cartas Portuguesas de Mariana Alcoforado. New translation and historical study by José António Falcão. Lisbon: ePrimatur, 2023.
• Maria Isabel Barreno, Maria Teresa Horta, and Maria Velho da Costa, Novas Cartas Portuguesas (various editions).
• Adília Lopes, O Marquês de Chamilly. Lisbon: Hiena, 1987
• Nuno Júdice, \"Três variações para cravo e Mariana” in A Árvore dos milagres e outros textos. Lisbon: Quetzal: 2000.

Studies:

• M. L. M. Sousa, Inês de Castro na Literatura Portuguesa, Col. “Biblioteca Breve,” Lisbon: ICALP, 1984.
• A. C. C. Gil, A Identidade Nacional na Literatura Portuguesa. De Fernão Lopes ao fim do século XIX. CHAM: Ponta Delgada, 2015.
• C. Pimenta, A Padeira de Aljubarrota: entre ontem e hoje, Fundação Batalha de Aljubarrota, 2007.
• M. S. Cunha, “D. João II e a construção do estado moderno. Mitos e perspetivas historiográficas,” in Arqueologia do Estado, Iªs Jornadas sobre Formas de Organização e Exercício dos Poderes na Europa do Sul, Séculos XIII-XVIII, vol. II, Lisbon, História & Crítica, 1988, pp. 649-667.
• M. Paradinha, As cartas de Soror Mariana Alcoforado. Manipulação e identidade Nacional. Casal de Cambra: Caleidoscópio, 2006.

EVALUATION

The preferred evaluation method is continuous assessment, consisting of the completion of 2 e-folios (written assignments in digital format) during the semester, and a final evaluation moment, the Global e-folio (e-fólioG – completed on the WISEFLOW platform) at the end of the semester, with respective weights of 40% and 60% in the final grade. However, students may, in due time, opt for a single evaluation moment, taking a Final Evaluation exam (on the WISEFLOW platform) with a weight of 100%.

Given that this course intends to address authors and texts considered emblematic in Portuguese Literature and Culture, students are alerted to the importance of being available and willing to read the entire bibliography provided by the instructor, as well as to the relevance of following the research pathway proposed by the instructor.