One of the most significant plays of the Spanish Golden Age, La vida es sueno (Life is a Dream) is an allegory about the conflict between fate and free will. King Basilio of Poland - frightened by omens and prophecies - has kept his son Segismund locked away in a tower for the prince’s entire life while telling the people of Poland that the boy died in infancy. But now Basilio is skeptical of the omens, and wants to test his son by bringing him to court to see how Segismund will react to his newfound freedom. Will Segismund be a tyrant? A just and forgiving ruler? What will be the fate of Poland? With many translations and adaptations, La vida es sueno is a powerful investigation into the nature of the human condition and how dreams challenge the certainty of reality.
La vida es sueno guide sections
