Life is a Dream
play by Pedro Calderón de la Barca (1635)
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"Life is a Dream" is a Spanish play written by Pedro Calderón de la Barca in 1635 that explores philosophical questions about the nature of reality and human existence. It remains one of the most celebrated works of Spanish Golden Age drama and continues to be performed and studied for its imaginative treatment of dreams, free will, and what constitutes a meaningful life.
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Life Is a Dream (Spanish: La vida es sueño [la ˈβiða es ˈsweɲo]) is a Spanish-language play by Pedro Calderón de la Barca. First published in 1636, in two different editions, the first in Madrid and a second one in Zaragoza. Don W. Cruickshank and a number of other critics believe that the play can be dated around 1630, thus making Calderón's most famous work a rather early composition. It is a philosophical allegory regarding the human situation and the mystery of life. The play has been described as "the supreme example of Spanish Golden Age drama".
The story focuses on the fictional Segismundo, Prince of Poland, who has been imprisoned in a tower by his father, King Basilio, following a dire prophecy that the prince would bring disaster to the country and death to the King. Basilio briefly frees Segismundo, but when the prince goes on a rampage, the king imprisons him again, persuading him that it was all a dream.