El divino Narciso

El divino Narciso

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz

LOA

Characters:

El Occident (Indio galán)

La América (India bizarra)

El Celo (capitán general)

La Religión (dama española)

Música/músicos

Soldados

Notes & Quotes:

auto-sacramental (celebrating the Eucharist), preceded by a loa

Themes: mirroring & echoing (xxx)

“a radical reversal of contemporary social hierarchical values” (xix)

Mexicans (Aztecs) called noble (1)

gold mines contaminate soil/crops (p. 7)

parallel between human sacrifice & the Eucharist

spiritual poverty vs. earthly riches (102-03)

Religion & Zeal as husband & wife, also mercy & justice (94-95)

defamiliarization of European weaponry (p. 17)

“no quiere mi benigna / condición, que mueran, sino / que se conviertan y vivan” (223-25)

indigenous beliefs are “cifras / de nustras sacras Verdades” (262-63) – Satan’s imitations

a series of parallels – bounty of the earth (p. 25), priests (p. 26), sacrifice (p. 27), baptism

(p. 29), etc.

a sort of “how-to” for catechizing Indians (visual, not auditory – p. 31)

Madrid as center of Catholic world, where auto will be performed (p. 33)

defends herself against critics (p. 35), using America (p. 37)

Auto looks for parallels between Catholicism & classical traditions (p. 33)

AUTO

Characters:

El Divino Narciso

La Gracia

La Gentilidad (gentile)

La Sinagoga

La Naturaleza Humana [shepherdess]

Eco, que hace La Naturaleza Angélica (Réproba) [Satan]

Dos Coros de Música

La Soberbia

El Amor Propio

Ninfas y Pastores

Synopsis:

Sinagoga praises the Lord while Gentilidad praises Narciso. Naturaleza Humana is mother of both (i.e. we’re all brothers & sisters) & says someday their roles will be reversed – Sinagoga will be wrong & Gentilidad will be right. She takes S’s message and G’s poetry to create her allegory. They re-enter dressed as nymphs & sing more praises & Naturaleza explains that she is fallen/separated from God but has an advocate to intercede for her. She also introduces the water metaphor – hers is muddied, hopes to make it crystal one day.

Eco comes on w/ his faithful friends, Amor Propio & Soberbia, who are both bothered that the praises are not for them. He decides to combat this by playing the role of Echo & will avenge his/her rejection by keeping Naturaleza from seeing Narciso’s face as well. He uses Noah’s ark, the Tower of Babel & an idol to talk about the human condition. He then uses stories of the prophets from the Bible (Abel, Enoch, Abraham, Moses) to illustrate how men have come close to God. He also admits Christ’s divinity & his fear of Him. His decides to tempt Narciso by appealing to his (hungry) human side.

Narciso, on a mountain top, rejects human sustenance & Echo tempts him w/ riches & food. He rejects her & she swears to kill him. Naturaleza enters & explains how long & how much she has suffered in her search for Narciso & describes his beauty. Her soliloquy expounds upon biblical prophesy.

Gracia appears singing as a shepherdess & Naturaleza asks her who she is. Gracia reveals that she helped her in the garden (of Eden) until her disgrace & consequent dismissal separated them. Naturaleza remembers & wishes to embrace her long-lost friend, but cannot without Narciso’s help, which she should enlist by making Him see himself in her countenance.

Narciso enters singing about a lost lamb & his diligent pursuit of her, despite her unwillingness to come to Him. He also sings about the effects of His eventual wrath and the agony He feels being apart from her.

Narciso comes to the fountain & admires & describes His own reflection with Petrarchan imagery. Echo approaches, wishing to poison the water in the fountain, and realizes the Narciso see Naturaleza as His reflection. Echo is enraged and pained by this.

Amor Propio & Soberbia enter & share a short comical dialogue about wanting to make Echo feel better but knowing that their presence only makes things worse. They stop Echo before she can throw herself from a precipice. Echo, now mute, communicates by repeating parts of her friend’s dialogue (anaphora).

Narciso reveals that his suffering is b/c of the reflection he sees in the fountain & Echo echoes his words as she did those of her friends to communicate her suffering. Narciso reveals that He came to give His life for this love and his words mirror those uttered in Gethsemane.

There is an earthquake & an eclipse as Narciso dies and the other characters express their fright, awe and marvel. As they speak of the effects of his death, an off-stage voice repeatedly proclaims Narciso to be the Son of God. Echo laments that His death foiled his/her plan. Amor Propio & Soberbia decide to try to make Echo forget about Narciso.

Naturaleza enters & mourns Narciso’s death along with the whole earth & looks for Him but does not find His body. Gracia asks her why she weeps & says that Narciso is alive, echoing the words of the Bible. Narciso appears on stage once again & asks her why she weeps. He reveals His identity but doesn’t allow her to touch him yet.

Echo, Amor Propio & Soberbia threaten Naturaleza but Gracia & Narciso promise to defend her & explain that now there’s a way to remedy her sins. Echo cannot understand this & Gracia recaps while praising His perfection in a long monologue, using traditional symbols of Christ, like the ermine & the lilly. The sacrament wafer appears & Narciso explains that it is His blood & body, & Naturaleza rejoices while Echo & friends lament. Naturaleza & Narciso embrace & they sing a song of praise.

Extra Notes & Quotes:

Stage directions about the scenery and costuming!!

self-aware allegory – nature explains it (p. 47), asks other characters to participate (p. 49)

“colores alegóricos” (113-14) & “metafóricas frases” (118)

“recopila / en la metáfora misma” (1948-49)

“¡Oh, qué bien suenan unidas / las alabanzas acordes, / que de Su Beldad divina / celebran las perfecciones!” (202-05)

Narciso = Christ

Mirroring/water/reflections:

“los Orbes, / para servirle de espejos,” (99-100)

“¡Oh, quiera el Cielo / que mis esperanzas topen / alguna Fuente que, libre / de aquellas aguas salobres, / represente el Narciso / enteras las perfecciones!” (250-55)

“su imagen que mira en ella” (461)

“que consigamos siquiera / que en las turbas aguas / de su culpa sea, / para que Su imagen / borrada parezca” (625-30)

“llegando a aquella Fuente, / cuyas cristalinas aguas / . . . / siempre limpias, siempre intactas” (1025-27, 1029)

“vuelve tú la imagen clara / de la beldad de Narciso” (1055-56)

“para que a las Divinas / sirvan las Humanas Letras” (330-31)

characters aware of the roles they’re playing – Satan as Echo (p. 65)

onstage transformation? (see the stage direction, not present in Spanish text)

Echo’s story of rejection perhaps reflects the story of Satan being cast out of Eden? (p. 67)

Lots of singing involved

mystic language:

“Decidme dónde está El que mi alma adora” (880)

“mi Divino Amado” (940)

“al mirarla sienta / del amor los efectos, / ansias, deseos, lágrimas y afectos” (1118-

19)

“de la sed por ti estoy abrasado” (1236)

“¡Vén, Esposa, a tu Querido” (1297)

“De ella estoy enamorado; / y aunque amor Me ha de matar, / Me es más fácil el dejar / la vida, que no el cuidado” (1467-70)

Petrarchan imagery:

“sus dos labios hermosea / partida cinta rosada, / por quien la voz delicada,

haciendo al coral agravio” (1259-62)