“Pizarro” as a Gothic Villain: Historical Backgrounds of The Spaniards in Peru

IR Web Site Open Access

Bibliographic Information

Other Title
  • ゴシックの悪漢としての「ピサロ」 : 『ペルーのスペイン人』の歴史的背景
  • ゴシック ノ アッカン ト シテ ノ 「 ピサロ 」 : 『 ペルー ノ スペインジン 』 ノ レキシテキ ハイケイ

Search this article

Abstract

In his “Preface” to Lyrical Ballads (2nd ed. 1800), William Wordsworth blames “frantic novels” and “sickly and stupid German Tragedies” for driving the works of Shakespeare and Milton into neglect. The term “frantic novels” refers to the Gothic romance of the age, and “German Tragedies” was used to describe especially the ones written by the German playwright August von Kotzebue. English translations and adaptations of his tragedy Die Spanier in Peru, oder Rollas Tod (1796) were highly popular in English theaters. Even the name of “Monk” Lewis, who produced a translation, Rolla, or the Peruvian Hero (1799), can be found alongside Ann Plumptre (The Spaniards in Peru, or the Death of Rolla, 1799), Thomas Dutton (Pizarro in Peru, or the Death of Rolla, 1799) and Richard Brinsley Sheridan (Pizarro, 1799). Compared to the rich resources available for the study of Gothic romance, The Spaniards in Peru has not been discussed enough to estimate its literary value. However, this drama about the Spanish conqueror Pizarro’s cruel deeds against the Peruvian people and their resistance can still be closely compared with Gothic romance. If we look at the play from the literary, historical, and social perspectives, we find that Pizarro embodies certain Gothic characteristics that have been pointed out by Gothic scholars like his tyrannical deeds and character, which is reminiscent of Gothic villains and the depiction of Spanish cruelties in Peru designed to rouse the English audience’s/reader’s anti-Catholic feelings. At the same time, dramatizing the Spanish con-quest of the Peruvian people was relevant to the anti-slavery controversy and the trend of philanthropy in the English literary society of this age, a subject that has recently been taken up for discussion among English Romantic scholars. In other words, The Spaniards in Peru is a kind of literary crossroad that connects the study of Gothic romance and of English Romantic literature. This paper discusses Kotzebue’s The Spaniards in Peru by juxtaposing it with the contemporary Gothic romance and tracing its literary value against the context of Gothic characteristics. By empirically examining the play’s popularity in its historical context, we can discuss its political aspects. Furthermore, such a comparison could show some unmissable relationships between the narrative of The Spaniards in Peru and some of the issues raised by the study of post colonialism and orientalism. This methodology rewards the study of both Gothic literature and English Romanticism.

Journal

Related Projects

See more

Keywords

Details 詳細情報について

Report a problem

Back to top