AMAZONAS EN LAS INDIAS

AmazIn

Escena: En el Perú.

REPARTO

I

During the conquest of Peru, Francisco Pizarro has been killed by Diego de Almagro to avenge the death of his father at the hands of Hernando Pizarro, after the elder Almagro had turned against the Pizarros. Diego now wants to kill Gonzalo Pizarro and to become emperor of Peru, since Juan Pizarro has died and Hernando Pizarro is now in prison in Spain. During a battle between the Spaniards and the Amazons, Gonzalo Pizarro is struggling with Menalipe, queen of the Amazons, but he refuses to draw his sword against her. Francisco de Caravajal is fighting Martesia, Menalipe's sister. Martesia, a profetisa, tells Caravajal that she knows all about him and says that she wants to marry him. Since marriage is forbidden to the Amazons, she will have to change the law of her people in order for them to marry. Thinking that she is just trying to get out of fighting him, Caravajal calls her "bruja tahur." Meanwhile Gonzalo disarms Menalipe and she tells him the history of the Amazons, how, when they were still in Europe, their husbands went off to fight and they learned to get along without men. When the men returned they wanted the women to do their will, but the women rebelled and killed their husbands, went to Asia, were finally ship-wrecked and ended up in the banks of the Amazon. Menalipe asks Gonzalo to marry her. He wants to but feels that he must return to Peru to help his brother Francisco, of whose death he is apparently unaware. He promises to return to marry her however. She warns him not to trust flatterers.

In the meantime, Diego de Almagro is still looking for Gonzalo, but García de Alvarado tells him he is wrong, that Carlos V is the real emperor of Peru and that he should not seek revenge on the Pizarros because it was not a treacherous act for them to kill Diego's father. Diego, angry, calls out "matadle" but Garcia leaves. Juan Valsa arrives to say that Francisco Caravajal, Alonso de Alvarado, Vaca de Castro, and others are coming with a strong army. He thinks that perhaps they should surrender, but Diego says no, they will fight.

II

Vaca de Castro and his army have defeated Diego de Almagro and taken him prisoner. Gonzalo is in mourning for his brother, but Vaca tells him that his brother died with the cross of the sword in his hand, and that of the king on his breast, in a state of grace, so Gonzalo should not quit. Gonzalo is supposed to inherit Francisco's governorship, but the king has decided to send a viceroy, Basco Núñez Vela, instead. Gonzalo does not want to make trouble, however, unless the viceroy does. Caravajal tells the others of all the difficulties of Gonzalo's expedition -- hunger, insects, etc., and of how they crossed the Marañón (Amazon) River at its narrowest point, where they made a boat for Francisco de Oreñada to go up the river, and how he took his men and left them, in a sort of mutiny. He further speaks of the encounter with the Amazons and how they would have been killed had not Menalipe fallen for Gonzalo and Martesia for him. Vaca tells Gonzalo to console his niece (Francisco's daughter) Francisca as a father. Meanwhile Menalipe and Martesia are talking. Martesia predicts that Gonzalo will be killed, but Menalipe refuses to believe it. She wants to see him, so Martesia plans to fly them there by magic.

Gonzalo consoles Francisca and suggests that they marry. She agrees. Caravajal tells Gonzalo that the viceroy is taking away all the Indians who are working on the land and asks him to go to try to help the people. (Vaca's efforts to do this have not been successful.) He wants Francisca to go also, since her father was so respected by the king. Gonzalo tells Francisca to go, but that he will stay out of it. Martesia and Menalipe witness the scene when Gonzalo tells her to go and that then they will marry. Furious, Menalipe wishes a bad fate for Gonzalo.

III

Gonzalo has gone into the country, where he is living a peaceful life enjoying his garden. Trigueros arrives, after having spent a month with the Amazons. He tells Gonzalo that they want him to come and marry Menalipe and be happy. At the same time they warn him that the viceroy is planning his death. Caravajal tries to get Gonzalo to fight the viceroy, who is four towns away from him. Gonzalo refuses until he hears from Almendras that Francisca is a prisoner and might lose her virtue. With his honor at state, he decides to fight. Hinojosa then comes and tells him that the viceroy's cruelties and the killing of Illán Juárez have aroused people and that the oidores have sent the viceroy back to Spain and want Gonzalo to come to be the governor. Martesia and Menalipe appear, relating how the viceroy, with the aid of some of the people, is returning to fight Gonzalo.

While Almendras and Caravajal are pursuing the viceroy, Martesia and Menalipe are trying to persuade Caravajal to get Gonzalo and then to come and live in peace with the Amazons. He will not listen to them, asserting that they are just the devil's instruments. He says he believes in the Apóstol Gallego, not duendes. Martesia says they can help Gonzalo but even so he will be beheaded shortly. Caravajal reports to Gonzalo that even though they have defeated the viceroy another governor is on his way. Saying that Gonzalo deserves to be governor through his brother, he urges Gonzalo to set himself up as king and marry an Inca princess, and they will all support him. Gonzalo will not go against the king of Spain, however. Caravajal and the soldiers say he must be king or they will desert him and turn him over to the new governor, whereupon they will be all pardoned. When he still refuses to do what they ask, they carry out their threat and Gonzalo is sentenced to die. Menalipe wants to die too, but Martesia says that will not do any good. Alonso de Alvarado arrives, complaining that Gonzalo's death is unjust. Martesia predicts that Alonso will be the beginning of a line of counts, and also that Fernando Pizarro will marry again and perpetuate the Pizarro family. Menalipe and Martesia are to go back to the Amazon. Martesia asserts that no Spaniards can get through to the Amazon, because they are too evil, but that some will die trying. Menalipe and Martesia walk into a mountain, which opens up and swallows them. Alonso wonders at the voices he has heard, and bemoans the sad end of Gonzalo.