La vida es sueño
Encyclopedia
Life is a Dream is a Spanish language
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

 play by Pedro Calderón de la Barca
Pedro Calderón de la Barca
Pedro Calderón de la Barca y Barreda González de Henao Ruiz de Blasco y Riaño usually referred as Pedro Calderón de la Barca , was a dramatist, poet and writer of the Spanish Golden Age. During certain periods of his life he was also a soldier and a Roman Catholic priest...

. First published in 1635 (or possibly early in 1636), it is a philosophical allegory regarding the human situation and the mystery of life. Focusing on Segismundo
Sigismund
Sigismund is a German proper name, meaning "protection through victory", from Old High German sigu "victory" + munt "hand, protection". Tacitus Latinises it Segimundus...

, Prince of Poland, the central argument is the conflict between free will
Free will
"To make my own decisions whether I am successful or not due to uncontrollable forces" -Troy MorrisonA pragmatic definition of free willFree will is the ability of agents to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints. The existence of free will and its exact nature and definition have long...

 and fate
Destiny
Destiny or fate refers to a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual...

. The play remains one of Calderón's best-known and most studied works.

Synopsis

The King of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

 has kept his son Segismundo secretly imprisoned since birth because an oracle
Oracle
In Classical Antiquity, an oracle was a person or agency considered to be a source of wise counsel or prophetic predictions or precognition of the future, inspired by the gods. As such it is a form of divination....

 prophesied that the prince would bring disaster to the country. Telling his subjects that the boy died soon after childbirth, he manages to keep his son hidden until he has grown to be a man.
When Segismundo reaches maturity, the King wishes to reveal his son at last, restoring the Prince as rightful heir to the throne.
The King brings Segismundo to court and tells him about his Princely heritage. This discovery makes him violent, however, and he rages, killing a servant, attempting to rape a woman, and injuring the King's advisor.

Horrified and certain of the truthfulness of the prophecy, the King has Segismundo drugged and returned to his tower prison. Upon waking he mourns, believing the previous day's events had been nothing more than a dream.

Though he remains oblivious in his cell, the people have discovered Segismundo's plight and break him out of prison. Though Segismundo rejoices, he cannot be sure whether this new development is, in fact, reality or still just a dream.

The rebels persist, though, and Segismundo raises an army of the people. Together they defeat the king, but Segismundo cannot take his father's life. Moved at this gesture, the King proclaims Segismundo heir to his throne. As ruler, he resolves to live by the motto that "God is God," acknowledging that one must strive for goodness whether he is asleep or awake.

Act 1, Day One

Rosaura, disguised as a man
Cross-dressing
Cross-dressing is the wearing of clothing and other accoutrement commonly associated with a gender within a particular society that is seen as different than the one usually presented by the dresser...

 and accompanied by her squire, Clarín, heads for the royal court of Poland to take vengeance on Astolfo, who had promised to marry her, but abandoned her. She carries a sword that belonged to her father, whom she had never met. Upon arriving in Poland, at nightfall, she falls from her horse, which runs away, leaving her to trek down the mountain on foot. She glimpses a light in the distance and follows it to a tower, where Segismundo has been imprisoned since birth. At this point, Segismundo delivers his famous monologue
Monologue
In theatre, a monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are common across the range of dramatic media...

, “Ay! Misero de mi, ay, infelice,” expressing his unhappiness. He asks why he has been deprived of liberty all his life, when birds, beasts, fish, and even streams are free.

Clotaldo, Segismundo's jailer, discovers Rosaura and Clarín, and detains them to bring them before the king since nobody can know about the existence of Segismundo. Clotaldo recognizes Rosaura’s sword as his own, and struggles with fulfilling his duty to the king and saving his son, but does not disclose his dilemma to Rosaura.

Astolfo proposes to Estrella. He wants to marry her since they are both children of the king's sisters. And since the king has no children, the two of them united would be the clear choice for the heir.

The king, Basilio, announces to his court that he does have a son who was supposed to be a wicked ruler, so he had locked him away, but that he wants to give him a chance to clear his conscience. He says if this does not work, he will lock his son away again and give the throne to the children of his sisters since they have decided to wed to unify their power.

Clotaldo brings the charges of Rosaura and Clarín before Basilio, who pardons them since he has already decided to reveal the secret of Segismundo.

Rosaura reveals to Clotaldo that Astolfo is the one she has come to kill. Clotaldo is torn again between helping her and his loyalty to his country.

Act 2, Day Two

In the second day, we know why Segismundo is imprisoned in a dungeon since birth: an oracle predicted that he would be a cruel king, so his father, Basilio, enclosed him.
Basilio has devised a trap to discover whether Segismundo is really cruel:
he is drugged, taken into the palace, and presented with his rightful position, reserving the possibility of making him believe that everything is a dream lest he behave unjustly.

Rosaura is safe, and enters as an attendant of Estrella.

Segismundo acts like a tyrant prince, throwing a servant from the window shortly after waking up, attempting to rape Rosaura, hurting Clotaldo when he comes to help his daughter, and involving himself in a sword fight with Astolfo. In light of his behavior, the king decides to drug him again and take him back to the tower.

Astolfo courts Estrella, since with their union they would share the succession to the throne instead of competing for it once Segismundo is out of the picture. Astolfo recognizes Rosaura (who is going by the name Astrea), and they break off for good.

The day finishes with Segismundo, once again in the tower, asking himself if it could all have been a dream, and closes with the famous verses that give name to the play:

I dream that I am here
of these imprisonments charged,
and I dreamed that in another state
happier I saw myself.
What is life? A frenzy.
What is life? An illusion,
A shadow, a fiction,
And the greatest profit is small;
For all of life is a dream,
And dreams, are nothing but dreams.

Yo sueño que estoy aquí
de estas prisiones cargado,
y soñé que en otro estado
más lisonjero me vi.
¿Qué es la vida? Un frenesí.
¿Qué es la vida? Una ilusión,
una sombra, una ficción,
y el mayor bien es pequeño:
que toda la vida es sueño,
y los sueños, sueños son.


Act 3, Day Three

The people of Poland, at finding out that they have a prince, organize a revolt and liberate Segismundo from his tower (after first mistaking Clarion for the prince). Segismundo frees Clotaldo, allowing him to go with the king, and displaying that he has returned to his senses.

Rosaura wants to kill Astolfo, and tells her reasons to her father first, and then to Segismundo.

The king's troops and the prince's troops meet, and Segismundo wins. The two encounter each other face to face, and the king throws himself at Segismundo's feet, allowing the prophecy to be fulfilled, but instead of killing him Segismundo forgives him. In light of the generous attitude of the prince, the king grants him the throne.

As king, Segismundo decides that Astolfo must keep his promise to marry Rosaura to preserve her honor. At first Astolfo is hesitant because she is not of noble origin, but Clotaldo then publicly reveals that she is his daughter, so Astolfo consents. Segismundo then promises to marry Estrella himself.

The Rosaura Subplot

The Rosaura subplot has been subjected to much criticism in the past as not belonging to the work. Menéndez y Pelayo saw it as a strange and exotic plot, like a parasitical vine. Rosaura has also been dismissed as the simple stock character of the jilted woman. With the British School of Calderonistas, this attitude changed. A. E. Sloman explained how the main and secondary actions are linked . Others like E. M. Wilson and William M. Whitby consider Rosaura to be central to the work since she parallels Segismundo's actions and also serves as Segismundo's guide, leading him to a final conversion. For some Rosaura must be studied as part of a Platonic ascent on the part of the Prince. Others compare her first appearance, falling from a horse/hippogryph to the plot of Ariosto's Orlando furioso
Orlando Furioso
Orlando Furioso is an Italian epic poem by Ludovico Ariosto which has exerted a wide influence on later culture. The earliest version appeared in 1516, although the poem was not published in its complete form until 1532...

where Astolpho (the name of the character who deceives Rosaura in our play), also rides the hippogryph and witnesses a prophecy of the return of the mythical Golden Age. For Frederick de Armas, Rosaura hides a mythological mystery already utilized by Ariosto. When she goes to Court, she takes on the name of Astraea
Astraea
In Greek mythology, Astræa or Astrea was a daughter of Zeus and Themis or of Eos and Astraeus. She and her mother were both personifications of justice, though Astræa was also associated with innocence and purity...

, the goddess of chastity and justice. Astraea was the last of the immortals to leave earth with the decline of the ages. Her return signals the return of a Golden Age. Many writers of the Renaissance and early modern periods used the figure of Astraea to praise the rulers of their times. It is possible that Rosaura (an anagram for "Dawns") could represent the return of a Golden Age during the reign of Segismundo, a figure that represents King Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...

.

Segismundo's soliloquy

Life Is a Dream is one of Calderón's most well-known and well-studied works. This interest not only hails from the play's complex philosophy, but also from its notable dramatic structure. However, ever since Marcelino Menéndez y Pelayo
Marcelino Menéndez y Pelayo
Marcelino Menéndez y Pelayo was a Spanish scholar, historian and literary critic. Even though his main interest was the History of ideas, and Hispanic philology in general, he also cultivated poetry, translation and philosophy.He was born at Santander where he showed that he was an infant prodigy...

's 1910 classification of Life Is a Dream as a philosophical drama, criticism has largely dwelled on the existential
Existentialism
Existentialism is a term applied to a school of 19th- and 20th-century philosophers who, despite profound doctrinal differences, shared the belief that philosophical thinking begins with the human subject—not merely the thinking subject, but the acting, feeling, living human individual...

 issues of the work, often at the cost of paying specific attention to its formal dramatic characteristics.

A few central ideas constitute the major philosophical themes of the play: the opposition between destiny and liberty, the topic of life as a dream, and the theme of free will. These central themes overshadow other themes present, like the education of princes, the model ruler, power, and justice.

Focusing on Segismundo's line, "Y los sueños, sueños son", a more accurate English translation, better representing Calderón's poetic and philosophical intent, may be given as: "And dreams themselves are merely the dreams of dreams", implying and underscoring the ephemeral nature of human life and physical existence.

Segismundo's Conclusions

There have been many different interpretations of the play’s ending, where Segismundo condemns the rebel soldier who freed him to life imprisonment in the tower. Some have suggested that this scene is ironic – that it raises questions about whether Segismundo will in fact be a just king. Others have pointed out that Calderón, who lived under the Spanish monarchy, could not have left the rebel soldier unpunished, because this would be an affront to royal authority.

It is worth considering that Segismundo’s transformation in the course of the play is not simply a moral awakening, but a realization of his social role as the heir to the throne, and this role requires him to act as kings act. For some, the act of punishing the rebel soldier makes him a Machiavellian prince. Others argue that, while this action may seem unjust, it is in keeping with his new social status as the king. Daniel L. Heiple traces a long tradition of works where treason seems to be rewarded, but the traitor or rebel is subsequently punished.

It may well be that, rather than intending his audience to see this action as purely right or wrong, Calderón purposefully made it ambiguous, creating an interesting tension in the play that adds to its depth.

Themes and Motifs

The conception of life as a dream is a very ancient one, found in Hinduism and Platonism. It is found in writers from Lope de Vega to Shakespeare.

Key elements from the play may be derived from the Christian legend of Barlaam and Josaphat, which Lope de Vega
Lope de Vega
Félix Arturo Lope de Vega y Carpio was a Spanish playwright and poet. He was one of the key figures in the Spanish Golden Century Baroque literature...

 had brought to the stage. This legend itself a derivation of the story of the early years of Siddharta Gautama, which serves as the basis for the film Little Buddha
Little Buddha
Little Buddha is a 1994 feature film by Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci, starring Bridget Fonda and Keanu Reeves. Made by Bertolucci's regular partner, British producer Jeremy Thomas, it marked the team's return to the East after The Last Emperor....

that illustrates so the Hindu-Buddhist concept of reality as illusion.

Another religious concept is that of free will
Free will
"To make my own decisions whether I am successful or not due to uncontrollable forces" -Troy MorrisonA pragmatic definition of free willFree will is the ability of agents to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints. The existence of free will and its exact nature and definition have long...

 against predestination
Predestination
Predestination, in theology is the doctrine that all events have been willed by God. John Calvin interpreted biblical predestination to mean that God willed eternal damnation for some people and salvation for others...

. Catholic Spain favored the Counter-reformation
Counter-Reformation
The Counter-Reformation was the period of Catholic revival beginning with the Council of Trent and ending at the close of the Thirty Years' War, 1648 as a response to the Protestant Reformation.The Counter-Reformation was a comprehensive effort, composed of four major elements:#Ecclesiastical or...

 that defined the human will as able to choose the good (in cooperation with God's grace
Divine grace
In Christian theology, grace is God’s gift of God’s self to humankind. It is understood by Christians to be a spontaneous gift from God to man - "generous, free and totally unexpected and undeserved" - that takes the form of divine favour, love and clemency. It is an attribute of God that is most...

), against the Calvinist conception of the total depravity of the human will unless it is predestined by God to be renewed by grace. Segismundo chooses pardon against the oracle.

Catholicism is melded with "pagan" astrology
Astrology
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...

 in this play, as Segismundo's horoscope
Horoscope
In astrology, a horoscope is a chart or diagram representing the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, the astrological aspects, and sensitive angles at the time of an event, such as the moment of a person's birth. The word horoscope is derived from Greek words meaning "a look at the hours" In...

, as interpreted by Basilio, becomes the cause of his incarceration. Calderón would have known of the malefic qualities of Saturn, here associated with Basilio. He would have also known Lope de Vega's Lo que ha de ser (1624), a play that also includes the incarceration of a child and the importance of astrology.

One of the major conflicts of the play is the opposition between father and son, which may have biographical elements. This conflict is also modeled on classical mythology. It parallels the struggle of Uranus vs. Saturn or Saturn vs. Jupiter.

Many other motifs and themes derived from a number of traditions can be found in this rich and complex drama: the labyrinth
Labyrinth
In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos...

, the monster, the four elements, notions of freedom vs. predestination, original sin, pride, disillusionment, the Oedipus myth, etc.

Adaptations

  • Opera: Life is a Dream
    Life is a Dream (opera)
    Life is a Dream is a three-act opera with music by Lewis Spratlan from an English-language libretto by James Maraniss which was based on the 1635 play Life is a Dream by Spanish playwright Pedro Calderón de la Barca...

    by Lewis Spratlan
    Lewis Spratlan
    M. Lewis Spratlan Jr. is an American music academic and composer of contemporary classical music.Born in Miami, Florida, Spratlan played the oboe as a youth. He attended Yale University and was a student of Mel Powell and Gunther Schuller...

     (composer) and James Maraniss (librettist), given its world premiere by the Santa Fe Opera
    Santa Fe Opera
    The Santa Fe Opera is an American opera company, located north of Santa Fe in the U.S. state of New Mexico, headquartered on a former guest ranch of .-General history:...

     on 24 July 2010..
  • Theater: Fever/Dream
    Fever/Dream
    Fever/Dream is a play by Sheila Callaghan which premiered in 2009 at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, DC. It is a reinvention of Pedro Calderón de la Barca's play Life is a Dream.-Plot summary:...

    , a 2009 play by Sheila Callaghan
  • Some of the latter lines from Act 2 are sampled in the Jumpstyle
    Jumpstyle
    Jumpstyle is a rave dance and electronic music genre mainly practiced in Europe, specifically Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, northern France, and a few parts in the United States, specifically Indiana. The dance is also called Jumpen...

     song "Que es la Vida" by Martillo Vago.
  • Dramatic Novel: "United States of Banana" by Giannina Braschi
    Giannina Braschi
    Giannina Braschi is a Puerto Rican writer. She is credited with writing the first Spanglish novel YO-YO BOING! and the poetry trilogy Empire of Dreams , which chronicles the Latin American immigrant's experiences in the United States...

     is based on "Life is a Dream" from which it takes its hero Segismundo, a Puerto Rico prisoner whose father, the King of the United States of Banana, has imprisoned him in the dungeon of the Statue of Liberty for the crime of having been born; Segismundo's mother died in childbirth(AmazonCrossing, 2011).
  • Raúl Ruiz's 1987 film Mémoire des apparences is a partial adaptation of Life is a Dream (and was distributed under this title in its English-language subtitled version).

External links

  • New production of "La vida es sueño" in Spanish at Repertorio Español in New York City. November 2008. www.repertorio.org
  • Full text at Project Gutenberg
    Project Gutenberg
    Project Gutenberg is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks". Founded in 1971 by Michael S. Hart, it is the oldest digital library. Most of the items in its collection are the full texts of public domain books...

    in an English translation (Denis Florence MacCarthy, 1873)
  • www.lavidaessueno.com Theater project produced by Puy Navarro in collaboration with Amnesty International. Francisco Reyes, Associate Producer. March 2007 at The Culture Project, NYC
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