The Divine Narcissus

Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, known as "The Tenth Muse" of America, has been widely anthologized as a poet, intellectual, and defender of women's rights. Her calling as a nun, often denigrated or overlooked, is clear in The Divine Narcissus, the finest extant example of the auto sacramental, a medieval genre similar to mystery plays. Autos presented a blend of poetry, instrumental and choral music, dance and special effects and were intended to provide theological instruction to a broad audience. The Divine Narcissus is an allegory ostensibly written to explain Christian concepts to the Aztecs whose plight under colonization it also dramatizes. It reveals a scintillating display of sacred and secular knowledge. Scholars and students will welcome this drama by America's first feminist in its original Spanish and first English translation.