La vida es sueñoLife is a dream is a play by Pedro Calderón de la Barca, whose central theme is freedom from destiny. Written and published in the mid-seventeenth century, life is a dream is one of the greatest works of world literature. 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. The play's central themes are the conflict between free will and fate, as well as restoring one's honor. |