The Royal Hunt Of The Sun

In 16th-century Peru, Atahuallpa, the sun-god king, meets Pizarro the conquistador, representative of the Spanish Empire at its insatiable. While the Inca King is convinced of his own immortality, the Spaniard is cynical and greedy, leading to a collision of power and authority. Soon both men are locked in a struggle for survival.

"The Spanish expedition under Pizzaro to the land of the Incas told in dazzling spectacle and moral chiaroscuro. After general absolution for any crimes they may commit against the pagan Incas, the conquerors set forth upon the sea. The Inca god is a sun god, ruler of the riches and people of Peru and thought to be immortal. But the Spaniards have come in conquest rather than in reverence. There is misunderstanding, confusion, and slaughter: the Spaniards kill 3000 unarmed Incas and take the sun god captive. The ransom is 9000 pounds of gold. The avaricious Spaniards mutiny, try the sun god in kangaroo court and garrote him. He does not revive. The Incas behold their dead god."--Publisher's Website.

The Royal Hunt of the Sun recreates the story of Francisco Pizarro's conquest of the Inca empire in Peru, with a group of only 167 men, in 1532. The play is an incisive and visually dazzling exposition of colonization in which cultural and religious clashes, driven by the promise of immense wealth, lead to betrayal, death and destruction. It is also a deeply moving exploration of personal honour and frailty as the ageing peasant from Trujillo, Pizarro, encounters the Sovereign Inca and Sun God, Atahuallpa. The combination of the historical and the personal gives rise to a play of enduring pleasure and interest. As Nicole Ridgway, the editor, indicates, Shaffer's play raises questions about literature and culture that are of continuing relevance to contemporary society. This new edition encourages students to experience the theatrical and thematic richness of the play and to grapple meaningfully with its issues by providing extensive support in the form of a comprehensive introduction and user-friendly annotations.

Theatre program.

Pageant which deals with Pizarro's conquest of the Incas in Peru.