IS IT A NEW AND MODERN SOCIETY? SPORT IN ARTHUR AZEVEDO’S PLAYS

Abstract

In this article we consider how Arthur Azevedo, one of the most important Brazilian playwrights, while casting his glance over contemporary society (late 19th century), has incorporated the theme sport in his plays. As sport is a topic that featured in several plays of Azevedo, we have analyzed ‘‘O Bilontra’’ (1885), ‘‘O Tribofe’’ (1892) and ‘‘A Capital Federal’’ (1897). We conclude that the representation of sport in those plays expresses both the strength of the sport’s presence at the society and its capacity to dramatize the contradictions of the modernization process that was ongoing in Brazil at the emergence of the 20th century.