António Ferreira

Born 1528 in Lisbon; died there 1569. Portuguese poet and dramatist.

Ferreira graduated from the University of Coimbra and held high posts at the Portuguese court. He was the first to introduce into Portuguese literature the ode, sonnet, elegy, and epigram, as well as new poetic meters. His comedies Bristo (1622) and The Jealous Husband (1622) criticize social evils, which were in large part the product of Portugal’s rapacious colonial policy. They expose the hypocrisy and falsity of court life and communicate a sense of civic duty. These themes are also present in Inês de Castro (1587), a tragedy of profound psychological insight based on Portuguese history.