Loa to the Mystery Play Divine Narcissus: An Allegory is an allegorical piece written by Mexican playwright Sor Juana de La Cruz during the 17th century. The prologue sets the stage for a larger dramatic work, providing context and introducing several structural, theatrical, and thematic concepts that will be explored in depth throughout the play. One such theatrical element is the work's identity as an allegory, with Sor Juana de La Cruz using concrete characters to symbolize or represent more abstract concepts in order to convey moral and religious messages. Loa to the Mystery Play Divine Narcissus: An Allegory is a translated play originally written in Spanish,and is set in Mexico during the colonial era, outlining the cultural and religious differences between the Indigenous Mexicans, Christian soldiers, and missionaries from Spain. The prologue itself consists of five main allegorical characters: Occident, America, Zeal, Religion, and Music—with Occident and America being representative of the Mexican Indigenous culture and Zeal and Religion being representative of the Christian Religion, while the character of Music takes up a much smaller speaking role, setting the cultural scene by singing and praising the God of Seeds. The plot of the prologue primarily revolves around the Christians Zeal’s and Religion’s attempts to convert Indigenous Occident and America to the Christian faith and the dynamic between the four characters as they explore the similarities and differences between their two religious cultures. Ultimately, Religion speaks about the play Divine Narcissus, explaining that it is an allegorical play representing Chrisitan, as the title of the prologue states, mysteries, and they all begin to prepare for the play. 

One unique factor within the play Loa to the Mystery Play Divine Narcissus: An Allegory is Sor Juana Inés de La Cruz’s choice to heavily lean into Indigenous Mexican culture and paint it in a positive light, a portrayal which was not  very common to see in a Spanish play during the 17th century. This is made clear even as early as the first scene, when America and Occident enter and are described as “elegant” and dressed in “a crown” and a “richly embroidered cloth and headdress worn when singing the tocotin” surrounded by dancing “Indian men and women, holding the feathers and shells ordinarily used in this dance” with Music singing (Sor Juana Inés de La Cruz). Music as a character is very representative of Indigenous Mexican culture, and his song includes lines such as “Mexicans most noble, whose ancient lineage has its genesis in the bright rays of the sun” and “then come now, come adorned with your emblems of rank, join to your piety your joy, let them be one; in festive pageantry” (Sor Juana de La Cruz). This more positive rhetoric and vocabulary being used when describing Indigenous people wearing cultural clothing and participating in a religious ceremony was a very refreshing thing to be seen in a Spanish Christian play, as the time, it was not uncommon to paint indigenous peoples and their customs as “savages” in order to make the Christian faith appear more “civilized” and desirable. Although this play definitely still is in support of the Christian faith, it doesn’t represent or portray Indigenous Mexican culture in a negative way. Notably, the only ones who actively speak negatively about Indigenous culture are the characters Religion and Zeal, with Zeal wishing to turn to violence in order to convert Occident and America to Christianity, saying “You have seen the perversity in their blind abomination of your faith; is it not better that all die?” while Religion instead wishes to speak to them and explain the Christian concept of the Eucharist, saying “Oh cease your justice, Zeal: you must not, cannot kill them: for I am by nature benign and I do not want them to die but to convert, and then to live”

(Sor Juana Inés de La Cruz). 

It could be argued that in Loa to the Mystery Play Divine Narcissus: An Allegory Sor Juana Inés de La Cruz is actually mildly critical of the more violent colonial Spanish approach to conversion, which is represented by her character Zeal, a Spanish general. By definition, the word zeal is to put great energy and enthusiasm towards an objective, therefore, her critique might be that in using violence and force Christians are actually lessening their likelihood of converting the Indigenous Mexicans to their faith. Instead, she seems to be more supportive of the docile approach Zeal’s wife Religion, a Spanish Lady, takes, referring to them with reverence, saying things such as “Oh, most powerful Occident, beautiful, rich America, who live impoverished amid these prodigal bounties of wealth: put aside this blasphemous cult. Open your eyes! And now follow my true belief, the one true faith, persuaded by my Christain love” (Sor Juana Inés de La Cruz). Obviously, she still spoke horribly of the Indigenous Mexican faith, speech which is now rightfully recognized to be ignorant and wrong, however, given the historical context of the 17th century, when Indigenous Mexicans were being killed by the masses at the hands of Spanish conquistadors, the advocacy for nonviolent and humane methods of conversion was likely actually a very progressive viewpoint for Sor Juana Ines de La Cruz to have taken at the time. Sor Juana Inés de La Cruz characterizes Religion as a patient and peace-loving character, saying such things as “There can be no doubt: her conquest fell to your valor, your prowess, but what falls to me is mercy and the pity to spare her life; your charge, to conquer her by force, but mine to vanquish her with words, with the persuasive gentleness of mild, invincible reason.” in response to Zeals conquest, and when Occidental, who is portrayed as an elegant indian, says “I have already said that force obliges me to cede to you; this is true, but hear me: clearly there is no force, no violence that can hinder my will, keep it from acting with total freedom; and so, as your captive I moan, but you cannot stop me, here, deep in my heart, from proclaiming that I worship and revere the great God of Seeds!” she responds by saying “But wait, what I tender to you is not force but a mild caress. Which God is the one you revere?” and actively beginning a conversation regarding their respective faiths instead of using force and violence (Sor Juana Inés de La Cruz). 

Perhaps Religion’s statements were meant to be taken as a message to Sor Juana Inés de La Cruz’s Christian audience, stating that Christians cannot force their faith upon others, for if they do, they will only be successful in changing their actions, and will not be successful in truly changing where their loyalties and beliefs lie in their hearts. Instead of simply preaching her support for Christianity and belief in the Christian faith, in Loa to the Mystery Play Divine Narcissus: An Allegory Sor Juana Inés de La Cruz decided to make social commentary and criticize the system of which she was actively a part, which was not a common practice among Christians at the time but was very in line with and speaks very much to the prologue’s identity as an allegory. The allegorical commentary and criticisms on Colonialism and Christianity made by Sor Juana Inés de La Cruz in the prologue almost serve to explain the intended purpose of the play, Divine Narcissus, that will follow.

Citation 

Puchner, Martin, and Sor Juana Inés de La Cruz. “Loa to the Mystery Play Divine Narcissus: An Allegory.” The Norton Anthology of World Literature: Vol: D, W W Norton, New York City, New York, 2012, pp. 263–281. The Norton Anthology of World Literature.