24 Facts About Gil Vicente

Also noted as a lyric poet, Vicente worked in Spanish as much as he worked in Portuguese and is thus, with Juan del Encina, considered joint-father of Spanish drama.

Gil Vicente was attached to the courts of the Portuguese kings Manuel I and John III.

Gil Vicente rose to prominence as a playwright largely on account of the influence of Queen Dowager Leonor, who noticed him as he participated in court dramas and subsequently commissioned him to write his first theatrical work.

Gil Vicente's plays and poetry, written in both Portuguese and Spanish, were a reflection of the changing times during the transition from Middle Ages to Renaissance and created a balance between the former time of rigid mores and hierarchical social structure and the new society in which this order was undermined.

Gil Vicente married Branca Bezerra, who bore him two sons: Gaspar Vicente.

Gil Vicente's first known work, O Monologo do vaqueiro, was written in Spanish and acted in the rooms of Maria of Aragon, wife of King Manuel, to celebrate the birth of Prince John.

Gil Vicente, who was in charge of organizing events in the palace, directed the commemoration in honour of Eleanor of Spain, the third wife of Manuel I, in 1520.

Gil Vicente wrote no fewer than forty-four pieces, ten of which are in Spanish, fourteen in Portuguese, and the remainder in mingled Portuguese and Spanish.

Gil Vicente was a noted lyric poet in both Portuguese and Spanish, as represented by several poems in the Cancioneiro of Garcia de Resende.

Gil Vicente wrote a number of vilancetes and cantigas which were influenced by a palatial style and the themes of the troubadours.

Some of his works are profoundly religious, while other are particularly satirical, particularly when commenting upon what Gil Vicente perceived as the corruption of the clergy and the superficial glory of empire which concealed the increasing poverty of Portugal's lower classes.

Gil Vicente's works were partially influenced by the Iberian popular and religious theatre that was already being done.

Gil Vicente is one of the most important satirical authors of the Portuguese language.

Gil Vicente's satires were severely critical, anticipating Jean-Baptiste de Santeul's later epigram, castigat ridendo mores.

Gil Vicente portrayed Portuguese society of the 16th century with perceptiveness and insight, using many characters inspired by Portuguese social stereotypes of his time.

Positive aspects of Gil Vicente's works include imagination, originality, and a proficiency in technical knowledge of theatre.

Gil Vicente expresses himself in an unexpected, Dionysian way which does not always obey the aesthetic and artistic principles of balance.

Gil Vicente's works seem to show a spirit in conflict: his portrayals of the flaws of others appear almost rash and cruel, while his devotional and pastoral works, and those scenes in which he defends the oppressed, give an impression of tenderness, docility, and humaneness.

Many of Gil Vicente's plays were composed in order to celebrate religious festivals; these seventeen plays are called his "Obras de devocao".

Gil Vicente's comedies blended slapstick and satire; in addition, his use of dialect clearly delineated the social classes of his characters.

Gil Vicente wrote farces throughout the rest of his life; one notable example is Farsa de Ines Pereira, written in 1523.

Gil Vicente likely assisted in the production of these works, which include comedic scenes.

Gil Vicente's writing in Portuguese and in Spanish shaped both modern Spanish and modern Portuguese drama.

The third edition was not published until 1834 in Hamburg by Barreto Feio, after which Gil Vicente's work was finally rediscovered.