"Life is a Dream," a work by Pedro Calderón de la Barca, is centered on issues of freedom and predestination. The play unfolds around Segismundo, Prince of Poland, imprisoned since birth by his father, King Basilio, due to a prophecy predicting the ruin of the kingdom under his rule. When Basilio decides to test fate by releasing Segismundo, the plot explores the consequences of this decision. The narrative addresses Segismundo's internal struggle with his destiny and the nature of reality, questioning whether life is a dream from which one can awaken. Other characters, such as Rosaura and Astolfo, weave subplots that interconnect personal desires and social duties, reflecting on justice, honor, and love. Set in a context that blends elements of drama, philosophy, and politics, the play investigates the complexity of the human condition, the ethics of leadership, and the power of repentance and personal transformation. With a structure that includes intrigue, plot twists, and reflections on being and seeming, "Life is a Dream" invites the audience to ponder freedom and determinism.

Co-Winner of the 2004 Colorado Endowment for the Humanities Publication Prize. A beautiful and haunting tale of love, betrayal, knowledge, and power, Life's a Dream (La vida es sueño, 1636) is the best known and most widely admired play of Catholic Europe's greatest dramatist, Pedro Calderón de la Barca. Calderón's long life (1600-1681) witnessed both the pinnacle and collapse of Spanish political power as well as the great flowering of Spanish classical literature. Despite its longtime place atop the Hispanic canon, Calderón's masterpiece remains relatively unknown by general readers outside the Spanish-speaking world. Michael Kidd's new prose translation aims to correct this deficiency by rendering the play into a transparent, modern American idiom that preserves the beauty and complexity of Calderón's Baroque Spanish. The result is a highly readable and adaptable text that is enhanced by a generous selection of supporting materials, including a thorough critical introduction and glossary.

A new English translation of Calderón de la Barca's classic Seventeenth Century Spanish play, "La vida es sueño"

(Applause Books). Translations of four great Spanish dramas: Calderon de la Barca Life Is a Dream ; Miguel de Cervantes Siege of Numantia ; Lope de Vega Fuente Ovejuna ; Tirso de Molina The Trickster of Seville .

Exploring the conflict between free will and predestination, Calderon's most famous play tells of Segismundo, a Polish prince, imprisoned at birth by his father, the King, to thwart the predictions of astrologers. The dual-language edition features an excellent new literal translation on pages facing the original Spanish text. Introduction, Notes.