Life Is a Dream (Penguin Classics)

Life Is a Dream by Pedro Calderon de la Barca is a masterful exploration of human experience. Set against the backdrop of court intrigue and personal honor, this allegory delves into themes of free will and predestination, illusion and reality. A noblewoman seeks revenge against the man who deceived her love for the prospect of becoming king, while a rightful heir to the kingdom languishes in prison. Richly symbolic and metaphorical, Life Is a Dream probes the deepest mysteries of human experience. With poetic language and humanist ideals, this work has stood the test of time as a supreme example of Spanish Golden Age drama. Penguin Classics brings this masterpiece to readers once again, with a new verse translation that does justice to its timeless themes. For over seventy years, Penguin has been a leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world, offering authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes from distinguished scholars and contemporary authors. This edition represents a valuable addition to their global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines.