Paixão, Culpa e Castigo: uma análise comparativa dos protagonistas em O Crime do Padre Amaro (de Eça de Queirós) e O Crime do Professor Kandimba (de Henriques Samuel)

This article proposes a comparative analysis of the protagonists in O Crime do Padre Amaro(a novel writen by Eça de Queirós) and O Crime do Professor Kandimba (a novella by Henriques Samuel). The analysis is conducted through an examination of the narrative discourse, utilizing as its corpus the third edition published by Editora Luso Livros for Queirós’s novel, and the first edition published by Semana Editora for Samuel’s Gothic novella. The comparison reflects the degree of narrative similarity, with particular emphasis on the roles played by each protagonist, both characterized as “laden with similarities.” This approach aims not only to understand the realities of each protagonist but also to promote a critical analysis and in-depth interpretation of elements such as passion, guilt, and punishment—recurring themes in both works. The methodology adopted is based on corpus analysis, enabling a detailed exploration of the discursive techniques employed, which facilitate the formation of a realistic and multifaceted view of the social contexts of Portugal during the realism era (19th century) and contemporary Angola.