Frei Luís de Sousa
| Frei Luís de Sousa | |
|---|---|
Dramatis personæ on the first published edition of Frei Luís de Sousa, 1844 | |
| Characters | Manuel de Sousa Coutinho Madalena de Vilhena Maria de Noronha Frei Jorge Coutinho The Pilgrim Telmo Pais The Prior of Benfica Lay Brother Miranda The Archbishop of Lisbon Doroteia |
| Date premiered | 4 July 1843 |
| Place premiered | Lisbon, Portugal |
| Original language | Portuguese |
| Setting | Almada, 1599 |
Frei Luís de Sousa is a play in three acts by Portuguese playwright Almeida Garrett, premiered on 4 July 1843 and first published the following year. A classic tragedy, it is loosely based on the true story of a 16th-century nobleman who, after being presumed killed in battle, returns to Portugal under Spanish rule, to the consternation of his wife who has since remarried.
Frei Luís de Sousa is considered Almeida Garrett's dramatic masterpiece and the archetype of Portuguese Romantic theatre. José-Augusto França has called Frei Luís de Sousa "the masterpiece of 19th-century Portuguese theatre", and João Gaspar Simões notes that it is "easily the foremost document of national theatre."
It has been adapted into the English language as The Pilgrim.