Pedro Calderón de la Barca’s Life is a Dream (1636) is a Baroque masterpiece exploring free will versus fate. It is a philosophical allegory regarding the human situation and the mystery of life. Segismund has lived his life imprisoned in a remote tower because his father saw signs at the prince’s birth that he would grow up to be an evil man. After a violent, failed, trial release, Segismundo embraces morality, questioning if life is merely an illusion. While disguised as a man, Rosalinda plays a central role in the story, interjecting throughout.
