Product Description

In the rich, humid air of sixteenth-century Peru, Atahuallpa, the Sun-God King, meets Pizarro the Conquistador, representative of the Spanish Empire at its most 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; one of them must die and the survivor must face mortality, and the terrible truth of the world he lives in. Moving and atmospheric, The Royal Hunt of the Sun is an unforgettable drama of pride, empire and the conquest of bodies and souls.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #236318 in Books
• Published on: 2007-01-25
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 112 pages

About the Author
Peter Shaffer was born in Liverpool in 1926. Among his plays, The Salt Land (1954), Equus (1973) which won Shaffer the 1975 Tony Award for Best Play as well as the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, Amadeus (1979) which won the Evening Standard Drama Award and the Theatre Critics Award for the London production.

Customer Reviews

Clash of Cultures
This play takes place between June 1529 - August 1533 and is mainly set in the Upper Province of the Inca Empire.

After raising an army with promises of gold, Francisco Pizarro sets out to conquer Peru. He is by now quite old and has made a fortune, now he is seeking fame and immortality, being famous for all time. The story is narrated by Martin who is now old himself, but at the time when this was set he was only 15 at the start of the expedition, being Pizarro's Page. The whole group is forced to cross the Andes to meet the Inca god-king, Atahuallpa when he says that he will meet them at Cajamarca.

With Pizarro wanting eternal fame, the conquistadors wanting gold, the Church wanting converts, and the Spanish king wanting to expand his empire you just know that things won't run smoothly. With a mass massacre of unarmed Incas and Atahuallpa taken hostage for ransom things look like they may be easy for the Spainiards. But when the ransom is paid and no relief force in evidence, can Pizarro afford to let Atahuallpa go free? Will the god-king be required to put his immortality to the test?

Like 'Amadeus' and 'Equus', Peter Shaffer here shows yet another brilliant play. This play is more thought provoking and mentally stimulating than the other two, in that you are forced to consider the effects of Imperialism and the infringement on people who don't hold the same views as others. With its portrayal of two cultures alien to each other this is a must read play.