Oro e Idolatría en El Nuevo Mundo descubierto por Colón de Lope de Vega

The Spanish theater of the Golden Age presents the colonization of the New World as an heroic national triumph that ensures the expansion of the Empire and the propagation of the Catholic faith. While most Spanish playwrights believe that the conquest is justified because of the American Indians' idolatrous religious practices, Lope de Vega presents a more complex view of imperial expansion in El Nuevo Mundo descubierto por Colón. Although Lope never questions the religious motivation of Columbus or the Catholic Kings, he demonstrates that many Spanish sailors were guilty of the sin of idolatry because of their worship of American gold. More importantly, Lope also suggests that the American Indians have the right to defend themselves against the worst abuses of the Spanish conquerors. While remaining loyal to the Empire and the monarchy, Lope is therefore the only Spanish playwright of the Golden Age who questions the standard justification of the conquest of the New World.