Life’s a Dream: A Baroque Exploration of Free Will and Illusion
Baroque Theater
Theater was the most popular genre of the Baroque period. Audiences enjoyed the drama in courtyards between buildings, transformed into makeshift theaters. The stage, with side and rear doors, and sometimes galleries, represented scenes at different heights. There were no curtains, and the scenery was basic, relying on the actors’ words to create the setting. The front and sides of the stage served as the primary locations. Performances took place during the day due to the lack of artificial lighting.
Plays were also performed in royal palaces and noble estates for a more exclusive audience of royalty, nobles, and courtiers.
For the feast of Corpus Christi, theological works known as mystery plays were organized on carts in streets and public spaces.
General Characteristics of Spanish Golden Age Theater
Golden Age theater emphasized action over psychological characterization. This action served the overall theme, with the plot acting as a metaphor or symbol. This allowed for subplots alongside the main narrative.
Lope de Vega established the conventions of Spanish classical theater:
- Catering to public taste rather than prescriptive rules.
- Blending tragedy and comedy, mirroring the variety of life.
- Establishing verse as the standard for dramatic writing.
- Dividing plays into three acts, instead of the classical five.
- Allowing changes in time and location.
Calderón’s Theater
Calderón de la Barca adopted Lope de Vega’s innovations, adding structural perfection and dramatic style. Influenced by Góngora, Calderón’s language is characterized by philosophical reasoning.
An Introduction to Life is a Dream
Life is a Dream weaves together Eastern and Western traditions, exploring themes of fate, free will, and the relationship between life and dreams. The play features two main storylines that share the themes of mastering passions and discovering one’s identity.
Free will, humanity’s ability to choose its path, was a central concern of the era. Debate arose around whether good works could influence salvation or if it was predestined. Proponents of free will argued that individuals could overcome evil inclinations and adversity through virtuous choices.
The play’s theme of life as a dream has a deeply religious dimension, focusing on transcendence. It suggests that earthly glory and possessions are illusions compared to eternal glory.
Sigismund, a Baroque Hero
We first encounter Sigismund through his monologue in the first act. Lamenting his lack of freedom, he compares his fate to that of other beings. From the outset, he is presented as thoughtful and introspective, key characteristics of a Baroque hero. His father, Basil, is characterized by an excessive faith in science.
Basil’s experiment of bringing Sigismund to court proves disastrous. The transition is abrupt, and Sigismund lacks the tools to cope. His criticisms of his father’s upbringing are justified.
Sigismund’s problem is that, after yearning for freedom, he doesn’t know how to use it. He equates freedom with doing as he pleases, becoming enraged when corrected or contradicted. He must learn that human relationships require adherence to rules and mastery of impulses, lest he become a beast rather than a man.
For Baroque thinkers, every human is composed of a duality: intellect and instinct. The degree to which one aspect is prioritized determines the balance between human and beast. Sigismund embodies this duality in extreme form, making him a symbolic representation of humanity.
The Return and Reflection
: When Sigismund returned to his tower is no longer the same: the experience has disturbed. He proudly tells Clotaldo violent attitudes. Clotaldo, as a good teacher, the key to reflect and begin your road to success: it should have mastered their impulses, for even in dreams do not lose well. This reflection is produced in Sigismund.