La Vida Es Sueno/Life is a Dream: LA Vida Es Sueno : A Dual-Language Book (Dover Dual Language Spanish) - Softcover

Exploring the conflict between free will and predestination, Calderon's most famous play tells of Segismundo, a Polish prince, imprisoned at birth by his father, the King, to thwart the predictions of astrologers. The dual-language edition features an excellent new literal translation on pages facing the original Spanish text. Introduction, Notes.

The most famous of all Calderon's varied and romantic dramas, this seventeenth-century masterpiece by the great Spanish playwright explores the conflict between free will and predestination as it focuses on the life of Segismundo, a Polish prince imprisoned at birth by his father, the King. The monarch's heartless action, precipitated by astrologers who predict the boy will one day usurp the throne, paves the way for a series of events that turn the son against the father and lead to rebellion. Years later, following a revolution and the peasants' seizure of power, the grim prophecy uttered at the Prince's birth threatens to become a painful reality.
For this edition, Stanley Appelbaum has written an informative introduction and an excellent new literal translation that appears on pages facing the Spanish original. A valuable text for students of Spanish language and literature, this volume will delight any reader interested in classics from Spain's Golden Age of drama.
Original Dover (2002) publication. New English translation, introduction, and notes by Stanley Appelbaum.