Humor, insulto e política nos periódicos de José Agostinho de Macedo

Abstract

Almost two hundred years after his death, Father José Agostinho de Macedo (1761-1831) still raises passionate arguments. He was a controversial character, both in his many-sided literary activity and in his tumultuous personal life. Browsing through his periodicals A Tripa Virada (1823), A Besta Esfolada (1828) and O Desengano (1830-1831) with the focus in their humorous content leads the reader along the frontier between seriousness and jocularity, where the excesses of language disclose such an amorality that allows laughter to work efficiently on behalf of a counter-revolutionary political strategy during the struggle between Liberals and Absolutists in Portugal. Macedo abhorred freedom, as well as social and political change. His world-vision was self-centered to the point of calling for the physical elimination of his opponents. At the same time he was a scholar endowed with an unquestionable talent and able to use literary resources such as satire, sarcasm and mockery. He used them effectively at the service of violence, obscurantism, misogyny and racism. His laughter was liberticidal. His work, especially the periodicals examined here, challenge a permanent reflection on the limits of humor.