The Lusiads as a Travel Narrative by Luiz Vaz de Camoe
The Lusiads is an epic poem written by Luiz Vaz de Camoes written in the 16th century, first published in 1572. Thus, it is considered to be a Renaissance text. This essay will discuss the role of exploration during the Renaissance and how this affected the written pieces of the time by considering The Lusiads. The significance of travel and setting in this text will be discussed. Furthermore, the focus will move to how travel and the setting relates to nationalism and imperialism of the time. Also, the way in which the Europeans perceived those foreign to them will also be considered.
Travel and exploration was on the rise during the time of the renaissance, influenced by this new interest in the world as well as a desire to trade. The Renaissance term is a French word that translates to “rebirth”. It was a movement that began in Italy and moved throughout Europe between the 14th century and 16th century. There was a revival of interest in classical antiquity (Melani, 1). It was an era where thinking and learning was the focus, as opposed to living a pious and godly life. People had a greater interest in the world around them. This greater interest moved them to look beyond the boundaries and borders of their own countries and to explore the world. This exploration was made possible through the development of technology with regards to ship building and navigation (Graham & Roux, 2). It did not end with exploration. European countries were always attempting to extend their empire. Expansion was on the increase during the Renaissance due to all the new land discovered. These places held commodities that were new and useful to the Europeans, thus they conquered the land and engaged in trade. It is in this time period in which The Lusiads is written. The poem is about a group of Portuguese sailors led by Vasco da Gama on journey from Portugal to India, making a stop in the Cape of Storms, at the tip of Africa. It is considered to be a national epic as it
Travel and exploration was on the rise during the time of the renaissance, influenced by this new interest in the world as well as a desire to trade. The Renaissance term is a French word that translates to “rebirth”. It was a movement that began in Italy and moved throughout Europe between the 14th century and 16th century. There was a revival of interest in classical antiquity (Melani, 1). It was an era where thinking and learning was the focus, as opposed to living a pious and godly life. People had a greater interest in the world around them. This greater interest moved them to look beyond the boundaries and borders of their own countries and to explore the world. This exploration was made possible through the development of technology with regards to ship building and navigation (Graham & Roux, 2). It did not end with exploration. European countries were always attempting to extend their empire. Expansion was on the increase during the Renaissance due to all the new land discovered. These places held commodities that were new and useful to the Europeans, thus they conquered the land and engaged in trade. It is in this time period in which The Lusiads is written. The poem is about a group of Portuguese sailors led by Vasco da Gama on journey from Portugal to India, making a stop in the Cape of Storms, at the tip of Africa. It is considered to be a national epic as it
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