Joaquim Manuel de Macedo, historian and playwright

Abstract

This article discusses the transit between the historiographic and dramaturgical production of Joaquim Manuel de Macedo in dealing with issues that are central to the debate between theater and history. In this direction, the didactic book Lessons on the History of Brazil (free translation) and the play Cobé are analyzed. From a preliminary reading of the works, it is clear how much the writer’s thought is permeated by the textual formatting of each communication vehicle, opening itself up for different interpretations. For the analysis of the works, the reading of theoretical and historiographic texts is required in order to elucidate the relation between historical and fictional writing in the author’s work. In the case studied, we can see how both the colonial period and the Indianist theme gain distinct approaches and specific pragmatics in each work.