"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.

A Study Guide for Pedro Calderon de la Barca's "Life Is a Dream," excerpted from Gale's acclaimed Drama For Students. This concise study guide includes plot summary; character analysis; author biography; study questions; historical context; suggestions for further reading; and much more. For any literature project, trust Drama For Students for all of your research needs.

In this immersive and satirical novel about the contemporary art world from celebrated painter Domingo Zapata, an artist grapples with the intersection of his personal and professional lives as he begins to slip further and further into delusion. World renowned painter Rodrigo seemingly has it all: a multi-million dollar penthouse in Gramercy Park; a talent for creativity that seems never ending; a recurring invitation to the exclusive modern art exhibit Art Basel; and lovers by the dozen. But what his longtime admirers don’t see is Rodrigo’s deep frustration with the world around him: the wild and sinfully luxurious parties have lost their luster, those who worship him and those who work for him seemingly do so out of self-interest, and worst of all, his art has lost all meaning. As he begins to slip further down into the rabbit hole of despair, so begins his descent into madness, culminating with a beautiful, pristine vision in the shape of the perfect woman: Carlotta. As the lines between reality and fantasy slowly begin to blur and fade, Rodrigo finds himself at a very difficult crossroads: will he choose to live in his imagined world with the woman of his dreams by his side, or make a swift return to sanity, success, and the life he was always supposed to live?

The story is based on a fictional disaster that occurred in Peru on July 20, 1714. A rope bridge woven by the Incas on the road between Lima and Cuzco collapsed when five people were crossing it. They all fell into the river from a great height and were killed. Brother Juniper, a Franciscan friar who was about to cross the bridge himself, witnessed the tragedy. Being deeply pious, he saw in what happened a possible divine providence. Did the dead deserve to have their lives cut short in such a terrible way? The monk tries to learn as much as he can about the five victims, finding and questioning people who knew them. As a result of years of investigation, he compiles a voluminous book with all the evidence he has gathered that the beginning and end of human life are part of God's plan... The Bridge of San Luis Rey won the 1928 Pulitzer Prize for the Novel, and remains widely acclaimed as Wilder's most famous work. In 1998, the book was rated number 37 by the editorial board of the American Modern Library on the list of the 100 best 20th-century novels. Time magazine included the novel in its TIME 100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005.

Reproduction of the original. The publishing house Megali specialises in reproducing historical works in large print to make reading easier for people with impaired vision.

Learn how to keep a dream journal, meditate in preparation for dream work, and select from the author's Tarot spreads for decoding different types of dreams. Explore the meanings of the Major and Minor Arcana as they pertain to dreams, and use the Symbol Dictionary as a guide to common dream themes. Illustrations.