First performed on 24 May 1799 at London’s Drury Lane theatre, Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s operatic drama

was a phenomenal success in its day. Freely adapted from an English translation of the German dramatist August von Kotzebue’s

(1796), and focused on the conquest of Peru by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro (

. 1475 – 1541), the play delighted the public with its steady appeal to patriotic and humanitarian sympathies, spectacular stage designs, and stirring music. Despite some criticisms that it lacked literary merit,

remained in the repertoire for some sixty years. Exported to the American stage, it enjoyed a successful run for much of the nineteenth century.

After a twenty-year break during which he had devoted himself to his

1851 words

Citation: Fachard, Alexandre. "Pizarro". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 20 May 2011 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=2778, accessed 19 April 2024.]

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