Life is a Dream is an impeccable depiction of mastery in playwriting that captures the dynamics of the Spanish society wholly. Calderón de la Barca wrote the play, and it is arguably Barca’s best and most famous piece of work not only in Spain but also in the global spectrum. The play elucidated various thematic concerns that unconsciously provide vital insight into the Spanish society. From the play, an individual is able to obtain a broad understanding of the nature of the Spanish society, deducing their core values, and what the society held dear at the time when the play was set. The play was premiered in the year 1635, and the publication of this masterpiece was done a year later. The core aspect of consideration that is addressed by the author is the subject of freedom as opposed to the relentless pursuit of destiny. In this accord, this critical analysis paper seeks to extensively and vividly address and elucidate the key factors that have been presented in the play that propagate contemporary understanding of the Spanish society, with emphasis on the values alongside political culture.
The play openly seeks to address the subject of free will, destiny, and astrology which were among the fundamental aspects that were somewhat controversial and ambiguous in the Spanish society at the time. Life is a Dream captures the theological conflict that faced the society at the time. The real point of the contest was the aspect of free will as an antagonist to predestination, while still handling the victory associated with the realization of the element of free-will that allowed an individual to break loose from predetermined destiny, and make their own. According to Barca, human beings live under the ultimate influence of factor and forces of nature that include earth, fire, water, and air 1 . According to the Catholic perception of life at the time, stars did not have the power to determine the behaviour of the people but to a greater extent controlled how an individual behaved.
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Human beings are distinguished from animals since they have been accorded the free will to choose the trajectory that should be taken into their lives. Contextually, the Spanish society supported the postulation that people should be allowed to be stewards of their fate rather than being tied and limited to a predetermined destiny. The granting of this aspect to the society allows individuals to perceive life as being ephemeral. The underlying idea is that life in itself is a dream and therefore, it is imperative that the deeds of human beings on earth should be directed towards meriting individuals a life of eternity at the time of their demise. It is fundamentally notable that the thematic concern of the play is inseparable from the historical circumstances pertaining to the Catholic religion that faced the society at the time. In this accord, the Life is a Dream seeks to present Barca’s perception of life amidst the dilemmas facing the society.
The society is demarcated along the financial status line that creates a tremendous barrier between various groups to mingle amidst the societal lines. The play vividly depicts the frustration that the society has caused among its people by separating the individuals from the low cadre from those who are experiencing the financial power and deeming themselves the superior group in the society. The restrictive nature of the divides culminating from the financial categorization of individuals is denoted by the fact that Estrella and Astolfo are in a raging conflict because he clearly demonstrates an affection towards Rosaura that will hardly result to the culmination of a relationship 2 . This depiction can be extrapolated from the fact that he wears the portrait of another woman around his neck but can hardly admit to anyone to having strong feelings towards the woman. He feels that the affection that he has towards Rosaura is doomed and can hardly come to pass given that they are from two different edges of the Spanish society 3 . In this accord, it is apparent that the societal divides that are founded on economic wellness are not only a hindrance to social interactions but also holistically cripple the possibility of emanation of relationships that transverse these two social groupings.
Honor in the context of the Spanish society was a fundamental virtue whose violation resulted in outrageous outbursts and enmity between individuals. Rousaura’s relentless attempt to avenge her dishonor is the core factor that shifted the play towards this trajectory. The loss of honor and the unwavering dedication of an individual to strive to reclaim the lost honor is a recurrent aspect that can be adduced from the play. Rosaura reveals to her father Clotaldo that the whole powerful Astolfo has dishonored her. According to Clotaldo, the disgrace of a child is an equivalent of the dishonor of a father, and this nudges him to become an enemy to Astolfo. Dishonor is also an endeavour that culminated from the unconventional or rather underhand treatment of a fellow individual. The underhand treatment is depicted in the case of Basilio who masterminded the bringing of Segismundo into the palace to test his behaviour. Segismundos behaviour was deemed to have a direct impact on the course of his freedom and further judicial fate. If he had behaved in a manner that compliments his status as a royal, he would have been set free. However, if he acted contrary to the societal expectations of a royal, he would be sent back to prison under the pretext that his visit to the palace was a mere illusion or rather a dream. Segismundo burst outrageously deeming Basilio a tyrannical leader who has orchestrated his deprivation of free will. He claims that the decision to keep him imprisoned has deteriorated his honor stating that he is not responsible for his people but instead they should be called to account for all the years that they have deprived him freedom.
Segismundo becomes an unruly individual, and his bitterness is orchestrated by the fact that he was lied to and imprisoned just to be concealed from his entitlement as a royal. Segismundo then adopts a perception that deems all things mere dreams, putting all earthly ambition under that bracket; “what is life? A frenzy,” “what is life? An illusion 4 .” The underhand methodology in the mannerism in which Basilio tests Segismundo’s suitability to become a proficient leader in the society is an evident depiction of the dubious political approaches that were utilized in the Spanish society. Basilio, who was the king of Poland, is depicted as an unwise leader who resolves to follow and believe the astrological prophecy which postulated that his son would take over the leadership of the country forcefully. In this regard, the baseless conformity to unfounded prophecies by the King oblige him to imprison his son so as to prevent the recurrence of an event similar to what the astrological Prophecy denoted.
Calderón uses an exciting ending to his masterful play in which Segismundo condemns the guard who freed him from life imprisonment in the tower. The action of releasing the soldier is somewhat controversial since it seems like a wrong decision to imprison an individual who just liberated a person from serving an unjustified term in prison. The last scene is ironical, and this culminated to a vast number of questions whether Segismundo is going to be a just king. Segismundo, who lived under the Spanish political rule could not let an insubordinate security guard go unpunished. Segismundo’s transformation in the course of the story is a clear depiction of a paradigmatic shift that denotes an awakening. The new social rule that obliges him to act like a king was instrumental in according him a change of heart. The punishment of a disobedient security guard is an assertion that Segismundo is becoming a royal, and the characteristic defining a leader which is the ability to make rational decisions without allowing one’s emotions to cloud his or her judgement. The action of punishing the rebellious security guard is a clear indication that Segismundo is living up to the expectations of the society towards a royal.
The Spanish society, just like any other society, imposed expectations on its members so as to oblige conformity and punish deviant behaviour. The prime expectation that the society had is the idea of being subordinate and respectful to the authorities. In the play, it is evident that leaders and their subjects are willing to go to greater lengths to ensure that royalty remains emblematic of power which demands obedience. Clotaldo is deemed a nobleman who is an honorable servant to the king. Clotaldo raised Segismundo from childhood while being his guard during his imprisonment in the Tower. Clotaldo demonstrated his civic duty of being obedient to the authority by acting in accordance with the king’s orders despite the fact that they could not agree with the directive. Basilio had a plan that entailed drugging his son and taking him to the palace to see how he reacts to being on the royal premises. Clotaldo did not approve of the plan, but his civic duty obliged him to obey the authority and follow orders 5 .
The political culture in the Spanish society encompassed the hereditary kingship that required the heir to the throne to learn the ropes of leadership prior to their presentation to the leaders of the land. In this accord, Segismundo, who was the prince of Poland, was the heir to the throne, but the King’s adherence to the prophecy that the prince would wreak havoc in the kingdom clouded his judgement and nudged him to imprison his son. Despite the hereditary of the kingship, the Spanish society expected a king to act in accordance with a given perceived behavioral expectations. The need to adopt a more King-like character that meets the expectations of the public skyrocketed Segismundo’s change in character from a reckless character who made sexual advances on women around him while rebuking his father’s actions to a character who is willing to rule by the book 6 . He punished the rebellious guard without allowing his emotions to cloud his judgement and compromise his perception of the scenario.
In conclusion, the play Life is a Dream is a masterpiece that captures the multifaceted aspect of the Spanish society. The play depicts the society as one in which there is a clear-cut demarcation between the lower cadre and the rich or the royal. The society also had an expectation on the Royals who appealed to Basilio to imprison his son so as to avoid tainting the kingly image. Honor was a fundamental virtue in the Spanish society honor. The act of disrespect and dishonor in the play resulted in conflicts and enmity. Ultimately, the political stature of the Spanish society was based on a leader ruling by the book without compromise.
Bibliography
Calderón de la Barca, Pedro, and Denis Florence MacCarthy. 2009. Life is a dream . [Auckland, N.Z.]: Floating Press.
1 Calderón de la Barca, Pedro, and Denis Florence MacCarthy. 2009. Life is a dream . [Auckland, N.Z.]: Floating Press.
2 Calderón de la Barca, Pedro, and Denis Florence MacCarthy. 2009. Life is a dream . [Auckland, N.Z.]: Floating Press.
3 Calderón de la Barca, Pedro, and Denis Florence MacCarthy. 2009. Life is a dream . [Auckland, N.Z.]: Floating Press.
4 Calderón de la Barca, Pedro, and Denis Florence MacCarthy. 2009. Life is a dream . [Auckland, N.Z.]: Floating Press.
5 Calderón de la Barca, Pedro, and Denis Florence MacCarthy. 2009. Life is a dream . [Auckland, N.Z.]: Floating Press.
6 Calderón de la Barca, Pedro, and Denis Florence MacCarthy. 2009. Life is a dream . [Auckland, N.Z.]: Floating Press.
