Jousting in cordel: struggling with words is not a vain struggle

Abstract In this article about the verbal art of cordel, part of the doctoral research entitled O gênero do cordel sob a perspectiva crítica do discurso, I examine the use of the several voices present in the text. This resource acquires importance in cordel literature, as it gives them more dramaticity and thus catches the reader/listener’s attention. In order to understand this mechanism I use the discourse analysis referential, as formulated by Fairclough and Martin & Rose, and from Systemic-Functional Linguistics, as formulated by Halliday. Based on the comparison between the use of indirect and direct speech, I verified how much the struggle with words imprints vivacity and dramaticity to cordel narratives.