King Sebastian and His Public Secrets

Abstract

The many, disparate components of the Miscelânea de Foios (c. 1577) find a common aim in denouncing King Sebastian’s government and the threat that Phillip II of Spain posed to Portugal. The juxtaposition of these preexisting elements creates brief sequences with new meanings, so that what at first sight seems to be a chaotic mix reveals itself to be a chest full of secrets and keys to unveil them. Both crowns are attacked by way of allusions to their nefarious secrets, those that cannot be spoken about: hushed references to accusations of parricide against Phillip II, allusions to king Sebastian’s homosexuality, hidden at the bottom of a fake horoscope and behind complex mythological comparisons. Also present is the young king’s melancholic, suicidal character, an allusion to which was picked up by one reader who vehemently tried to erase it.

Keywords

• don sebastián
• felipe ii
• misceláneas
• homosexualidad
• parricidio
• autocensura