| Zusammenfassung: | ABSTRACT. Written within a decade of the 1497 general conversion of the Jews in Portugal, Anrique da Mota's Farce of the Tailor appears, at first glance, to be an overt satire deriding a New Christian: Mota uses the common dramatic form of the mock trial to pass judgement on the religious sincerity of a Jew who was baptized voluntarily. In this article, I will show that, despite its clear tone of condemnation and its comic presentation of the convert, the farce is in fact a very serious polemic on the subject of apostasy that highlights the shame and alienation experienced by voluntary converts, scorned by both the Portuguese Old Christians and those who were baptized by force. As shall be made clear, Mota's text presents an implicit yet brazen critique of Manueline policy concerning the Jews that has not hitherto been adequately recognized. KEYWORDS. Forced conversion, Anrique da Mota, A Farsa do Alfaiate, early modern Portugal, Portuguese drama, New Christians, apostasy, Jews
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