# Epigraph explained — The Lusiads

> Chapter companion for The Lusiads by Luís de Camões.

## What happens

The epigraph presents a series of quotations from various authors, including Giusti, Shakespeare, Camões, Tasso, and Voltaire, reflecting on themes of creation, fortune, and the enduring value of a work.

## Themes in this chapter

### The Power of Poetry

The epigraph emphasizes the transformative and enduring power of literary works, as seen in Voltaire's praise of a nation's delight in a book.

### Fate and Divine Providence

Shakespeare's quote touches on the role of chance and fortune in human affairs, a recurring theme in the epic.

## Character check-ins

### Luís de Camões

Quoted for his sonnet on the duality of sword and pen.

### Fortune

Referenced in Shakespeare's quote as a giver of prizes.

## Key lines

> Il far un libro è meno che niente, Se il libro fatto non rifà la gente.

Writing a book is nothing if the finished book does not transform its readers.

_Giusti's epigraph sets the stage for the epic's moral and didactic purpose._

> Ora toma a espada, agora a penna

Now he takes up the sword, now the pen.

_Camões' sonnet highlights the dual nature of the hero, both warrior and poet._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_lusiads_se/chapters/epigraph
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_lusiads_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_lusiads_se/chapters