Bocage was a Portuguese poet, contemporary and sympathizer of the French Revolution but in a deeply conservative, catholic and royalist country. Like Camões, another great Portuguese poet, his fame rose not only from his considerable talent, but also by dieing just before his country got overrun by a foreign power, earning him a status of national symbol.
Not much details are known about Bocage's biography, and that's where this work of historical fiction gets interesting, presenting a version of what could have happened in the last 15 years of his life.
Although at times a gross oversimplification of the end of the 18th century reality in Portugal, the plot remains entertaining and educational enough - portraying the bohemian, cultural, political and social life of the time in Lisbon.
Unfortunately, the acting is quite bad, with Miguel Guilherme (Bocage) and Manuel João Vieira (Agostinho Macedo) possibly providing the worse performances in the series.
The locations, costumes and characterization are very good at creating a 1790s setting. Overall, an interesting series, I only wish that the acting would have been better.
