Revisited Alcibiades: a portrait and an interpretation

Abstract

The text presents an interpretation of the story “A visit of Alcibiades,” by Machado de Assis. Considering that the biography of Alcibíades, elaborated by Plutarco is the source of inspiration for the brazilian author, intends to establish the relations between the texts and the vision of the world that they present. The two authors are classified as portraitists in the context of the western culture, therefore, the study contemplates some relevant aspects that characterize this activity. It tries to show that the story is an interesting portrait of the greek Alcibíades and is representative of one of the major tendencies of the ´machadiana´ aesthetic that is the study of characters. It evidences, also, that the text of Machado constitutes an interpretation of that of Plutarco, which is also an interpretation. And the central theme of both portraits is the seduction performed by the character, considering the different implications that similar character has of the ethical point of view.