"[1] As its subtitle indicates, the play deals with the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire under Hernán Cortés.
The premiere production was staged by the King's Company at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane; it featured Michael Mohun as the Emperor, Charles Hart as Cortez, Edward Kynaston as Guyomar, Nicholas Burt as Vasquez, William Wintershall as Odmar, William Cartwright as the Priest, and Anne Marshall as Almeria.
The original production employed a "gorgeously feathered cloak" that Aphra Behn had brought back from Surinam,[2] along with "glorious wreaths for...heads, necks, arms, legs.
"[3] Dryden spiced his play with crowd-pleasing features, including incantations and conjured spirits, and an elaborate grotto scene with "a Fountain spouting."
On opening night, Dryden had a program distributed to the audience, on the connection between this play and his earlier The Indian Queen (a collaboration with his brother-in-law Sir Robert Howard).
When the Duke of Buckingham and his collaborators satirised Dryden in The Rehearsal (1671), they had their Dryden-substitute Bayes say "that he had printed many reams to instill into the audience some conception of his plot.
"[4] The play was a major popular success, and was revived in 1667, with Nell Gwyn as Cydaria and Mary Knep in the role of Alibech.
"[5] The play was also given an amateur performance at Court in 1668, which included James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth and his Duchess in the cast.
Dryden dedicated the play to Ann Scott, Duchess of Monmouth and Buccleuch, whom he called his "first and best patroness.
Two sources of major significance were Sir William Davenant's The Cruelty of the Spaniards in Peru (1658), and the Spanish accounts of the conquest in Purchas his Pilgrimes (1625 edition).
[9] One aspect of Dryden's plot, Guyomar and Odmar's competition for Alibech, comes from Georges de Scudéry's poem Alaric (1654).
In his play, Dryden presents the type of conflict between love and honour that is typical of his serious drama.
Montezuma refuses a chance to save his kingdom from conquest, for personal reasons:But of my crown thou too much care dost take; That which I value more, my love's at stake.Cortez takes the opposite course, turning his back on his love for Cydaria to obey the orders of his king, even though he acknowledges that those orders are flawed.
They discuss the dwindling resources of Spain and the richness of the land they intend to conquer and exploit.
The Taxallan Indians, a rival of the Aztecs under Spanish command, have informed the officers of Montezuma's presence.
Cortez commands his guide to bring him to Mexico to first offer peace and, that notwithstanding, to make war.
Guyomar enters and describes the Spaniards arrival in terms he understands interpreted by the HP as in accordance with a prophecy about “floating castles”.
sends the HP to see what their arrival portends as he finishes up the ritual by having his sons pick brides.
He chooses Cydaria, who despite her hatred for Orbellan recognises her duty to her father to marry him and join the Indian nations.
thinks them gods at first but soon realises they are emissaries of “some petty prince” King Charles V. The Commanders issue the terms of Mont's surrender (gold, submission, and conversion) while Cydaria catches Cortez's eye.
Mont refuses the Terms of Peace and leaves with the royal party but not before Cortez ask that Cydaria be able to stay a moment that they may talk.
The spirits inform him of the destiny of his people and their ruin, him to give up his scepter but he refuses their prophecy (“Doom as thy please my Empire not to stand, I’ll grasp my scepter with my dying hand”) He insists a better prophecy must exist and asks the high priest to summon again.
As a particularly honour bound character, Cortez pledges to hold off his attack until the next day but is informed by Pizarro that the war has already started.
The officers withdraw to war as Odmar and Guyomar enter to make Alibech decide her love for either before the battle begins.
A Chamber Royal Montezuma, Odmar, Guyomar and Alibech discuss the growing threat of starvation and contemplate surrender.
Alibech implores Guyomar to release Cortez and let the opposing army into the city to end their starvation.
Act 4 Scene 3 A Pleasant Grotto Guyomar surprises the Spanish commanders and captures them.
Cortez is adamant that his heart belongs to Cydaria, but pledges to Almeria platonic love and devotion.
Almeria realises the mistake but persists, declaring the same thing in an attempt to break Cydaria's love for him.
Cortez promises Cydaria's protection and orders her into a tower in the prison to keep her safe, but refuses Almeria.