Pedro Calderon de la Barca

Life is a dream (eBook, ePUB)

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

"Life is a Dream" (La vida es sueño) by Pedro Calderón de la Barca is a masterpiece of Spanish Golden Age theater. Written in the 17th century, it's a philosophical and allegorical play that delves into themes of fate, free will, and the nature of reality. The story revolves around Segismundo, a prince who has been imprisoned since birth due to a prophecy. The prophecy predicts that Segismundo will become a tyrant if he is ever given power. Throughout the play, the audience is taken on a journey that questions the true nature of life and whether our experiences are real or merely fleeting dreams.

Calderón de la Barca weaves a rich tapestry of existential questions, blurring the lines between the conscious and unconscious, reality and illusion. Segismundo's journey, from captivity to power and back, is a metaphor for the human experience — a dream that we grapple with, often uncertain if what we perceive is genuine or a construct of our minds. The philosophical undertones of the play challenge us to contemplate the complexities of life and the human psyche.

In 'Life is a Dream,' Calderón de la Barca provides a thought-provoking exploration of the human condition, leaving the audience pondering the duality of existence and the enigmatic realms of dreams and reality. The play remains a timeless work, compelling us to reflect on the fundamental questions that have intrigued humanity for centuries.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Cervantes Digital
• Erscheinungstermin: 20. Mai 2023
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9791222410951
• Artikelnr.: 68132393

Autorenporträt

PEDRO CALDERON DE LA BARCA (1600-1681) was one of the leading dramatists of the Spanish Golden Age. His father was Secretary to the Royal Treasury and a minor noble, and his mother was a devoutly religious woman who died when he was a child. Calderón studied canon law in preparation for his presumed career in the church, but in the 1620s he started to write verse, and his success in competitions attracted attention. The first known staging of one of his plays was a 1623 performance of Amor, Honor, Poder (Love, Honor, and Power). Eventually, the prolific Calderón would write approximately 120 full-length dramatic works, 80 one-act autos sacramentales (religious mystery plays), and many other short pieces of poetry and theater. In 1636 King Philip IV named him a knight of the Order of Santiago. His output lessened in the 1640s, and in 1651 Calderón entered the priesthood, becoming chaplain of the Capilla de los Reyes Nuevos at the cathedral in Toledo, and then, in 1656, head of the congregation of San Pedro in Madrid. He continued to write both secular and religious plays until his death. GREGARY J. RACZ is associate professor in the Department of Foreign Languages & Literature at Long Island University, Brooklyn. His translation of the mock-Renaissance farce, Rigmaroles, appeared in Three Comedies, his edited volume of plays by the contemporary Spanish dramatist Jaime Salom. A specialist in poetic translation, Racz has published works by the Cuban writer Jose Lezama Lima, the Peruvian Eduardo Chirinos, and the Argentine experimental XUL group.