For example their customs; " some piercing the ears, putting large and ugly objects in them, some piercing their under lips down as far as their gums, hanging large stones, or gold, so weighty they looked deformed" (Wheeler, pg 7). Cortes thought nothing good of the Natives he thought their beliefs were wrong. "It should be believed, that it is not without cause that God, Out Lord, has permitted that these parts, should be discovered in the name of You Royal Highnesses, so that his fruit and merit before God should be enjoyed by Your Majesties, of having instructed these barbarian people, and brought them through your commands to the True Faith" (Wheeler, pg 9). Another example: " the great evils and injuries they practise in the service of the Devil will be forsaken" (Wheeler, pg 9). Who is Cortes to say what beliefs and customs are right from wrong? He is just some white guy that the King of Spain picked to find more about the new world. .
Just before the first day of the fiesta Cortes states that his interpreter who was told by another woman native of the city, that many of Montezuma's people were intending to kill Cortes and his men. After finding this information out he presumed by taking some of the Lords as hostages. Couldn't he have just asked them if this were true, since they were the ones with the most power? Was is really necessary for Cortes to kill more than three thousand innocent persons, and set towers and houses afire? I don't think so. He obviously intended to do this even before coming to the New World. Also, he knew by first meeting the Native Americas that they weren't as highly advanced in tactics as he was, so why all the violence?.
Source-one depicts a European being distracted by three young native women while another is behind him looking as though she is about to strike him in the back of the head. Now let's not forget that Cortes and his army have been away from home for awhile, and are probably a little sexually frustrated.
