«Perché Maria è Parda? Intorno al nome di un personaggio di Gil Vicente»

The Portuguese playwright and poet Gil Vicente is acclaimed as one of Western literature greatest playwrights, as well as the first and the most considerable dramatic author of Portuguese literature. The Pranto de Maria Parda is an excellent specimen of his unique style and one of his most fascinating works. The female protagonist is an old drunkard, who has to face the problem that the wine is so scarce and expensive that she says that she is going to die of thirst. This article is intended to highlight the relevance of an onomastic study of the Pranto, particularly focusing on the analysis of the name of the text’s leading character: «Maria Parda».