Life is a dream
In a deserted mountainous area, not far from the court of the Polish king, Rosaura, a noble lady dressed in a man's dress, and her servant got lost. Night is approaching, and there is not a light around. Suddenly, in the twilight, the travelers discern a tower, from behind the walls of which they hear complaints and lamentations: it is Segismundo, chained in chains, cursing his fate. He complains that he is deprived of freedom and those joys of life that are given to everyone born into the world. Finding the tower door unlocked, Rosaura and the servant enter the tower and enter into a conversation with Segismundo, who is amazed by their appearance: in his entire life the young man has seen only one person - his jailer Clotaldo. At the sound of their voices, the sleeping Clotaldo comes running and calls the guards - they are all wearing masks, which greatly amazes the travelers. He threatens death to the uninvited guests, but Segismundo decisively stands up for them, threatening to end his life if he touches them. The soldiers take Segismundo away, and Clotaldo decides to take away the travelers’ weapons and blindfold them, and lead them away from this terrible place. But when Rosaura’s sword falls into his hands, something in it strikes the old man, Rosaura explains that the man who gave her this sword (she does not name him) ordered him to go to Poland and show it to the most noble people of the kingdom, who have it will find support - this is the reason for the appearance of Rosaura, whom Clotaddo, like everyone around him, mistakes for a man.
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Left alone, Clotaldo remembers how he once gave this sword to Violante, saying that he would always help the one who brought it back. The old man suspects that the mysterious stranger is his son, and decides to seek advice from the king in the hope of his just trial. The Infanta Estrella and Prince Astolfo of Muscovy turn to Basilio, the King of Poland, for the same. Basilio is their uncle; he himself has no heirs, so after his death the throne of Poland should go to one of his nephews - Estrella, the daughter of his elder sister Clorine, or Astolfo, the son of his younger sister Resismunda, who married in distant Muscovy. Both claim this crown: Estrella because her mother was Basilio's older sister, Astolfo because he is a man. In addition, Astolfo is in love with Estrella and invites her to marry and unite both empires. Estrella is not indifferent to the handsome prince, but she is embarrassed that on his chest he wears a portrait of some lady, which he does not show to anyone. When they turn to Basilio with a request to judge them, he reveals to them a carefully hidden secret: he has a son, the rightful heir to the throne. Basilio had been interested in astrology all his life and, before his wife was about to give birth, he calculated from the stars that his son was destined for a terrible fate; he will bring death to his mother and throughout his life he will sow death and discord around himself and will even raise his hand against his father. One of the predictions came true immediately: the birth of a boy cost Basilio’s wife her life. Therefore, the Polish king decided not to jeopardize the throne, the fatherland and his life and deprived the heir of all rights, imprisoning him, where he - Segismundo - grew up under the vigilant guard and supervision of Clotaldo. But now Basilio wants to dramatically change the fate of the crown prince: he will be on the throne and will have the opportunity to rule. If he is guided by good intentions and justice, he will remain on the throne, and Estrella, Astolfo and all the subjects of the kingdom will swear an oath of allegiance to him.
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Meanwhile, Clotaldo brings him to King Rosaura, who, touched by the monarch’s participation, says that she is a woman and ended up in Poland in search of Astolfo, who is connected with her by bonds of love - it is her portrait that the Prince of Muscovy wears on his chest. Clotaldo provides the young woman with all possible support, and she remains at court, in the retinue of Infanta Estrella under the name Astrea. Clotaldo, on Basilio's orders, gives Segismundo a sleeping drink, and, sleepy, he is transported to the king's palace. Here he wakes up and, realizing that he is a ruler, begins to commit outrages, like a beast unleashed: he is rude and harsh with everyone, including the king, throws the servant who dared to contradict him from the balcony into the sea, and tries to kill Clotaldo. Basilio's patience runs out and he decides to send Segismundo back to prison. “You will wake up where you woke up before” - this is the will of the Polish king, which the servants immediately carry out, again giving the crown prince a sleepy drink.
Segismundo's confusion when he wakes up in shackles and animal skins defies description. Clotaldo explains to him that everything he saw was a dream, like all of life, but, he says edifyingly, “even in a dream / good remains good.” This explanation makes an indelible impression on Segismundo, who now looks at the world from this angle.
Basilio decides to hand over his crown to Astolfo, who does not give up his claim to Estrella's hand. The Infanta asks her new friend Astrea to get her the portrait that the Prince of Muscovy wears on his chest. Astolfo recognizes her, and an explanation takes place between them, during which Rosaura initially denies that she is her. Yet, by hook or by crook, she manages to snatch her portrait from Astolfo - she does not want another woman to see it. Her resentment and pain know no bounds, and she sharply reproaches Astolfo for treason.
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Having learned of Basilio's decision to give the crown of Poland to the Prince of Muscovy, the people rise up in revolt and free Segismundo from prison. People do not want to see a stranger on the throne, and rumors about where the crown prince is hidden have already spread throughout the kingdom; Segismundo leads a popular revolt. The troops under his leadership defeat Basilio's supporters, and the king has already prepared for death, throwing himself at the mercy of Segismundo. But the prince changed: he changed his mind a lot, and the nobility of his nature prevailed over cruelty and rudeness. Segismundo himself falls at the feet of Basilio as a faithful subject and obedient son. Segismundo makes another effort and steps over his love for Rosaura for the sake of the feeling that the woman has for Astolfo. The Prince of Muscovy tries to refer to the difference in their origin, but then the noble Clotaldo enters the conversation: he says that Rosaura is his daughter, he recognized her by the sword he once gave to her mother. Thus, Rosaura and Astolfo are equal in status and there are no longer barriers between them, and justice triumphs - Astolfo calls Rosaura his wife. Estrella's hand goes to Segismundo. Segismundo is friendly and fair with everyone, explaining his transformation by saying that he is afraid of waking up in prison again and wants to enjoy happiness like a dream.
5... metal slate. — The forked snake sting is used as a metaphor for the double-barreled pistol, which appeared in service at the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th centuries. In the metaphor, the adder refers to the Mediterranean adder, whose neck swells in an aggressive state: it resembles the handle of a pistol clutched in the hand. The spit of an asp was considered fatal. When fired, the gun made a sound reminiscent of spitting.
6 And since arrogance and Humility, // These venerable persons, II That in a thousand Sacred Actions // They played roles before us... - Arrogance and Humility - in fact, are very often found among the allegorical characters of Spanish autos. About Calderon autos, see the book: Iberica, issue. II: Calderon and world culture; briefly in the article by N. I. Balashov, present, ed., p. 782.
7 When Eustorgio died... - See the novel by Suarez de Mendoza “Eustorgio y Clorirene, historia moscovica”. It was most likely used by Calderon when creating the genealogy in the drama “Life is a Dream.” Kings and princes are the children and grandchildren of Eustorchio. Astolfo was born to Eustorgio's youngest daughter, Resisunda; Basilio's wife, Segismundo's mother, bears the name of Clorelena, the wife of Eustorgio from Mendoza's novel.
In real-historical terms, Astolfo has a possible prototype of the prince Vladislav (Vladislav IV, 1595-1648, king of Poland in 1632-1648; during the Polish and Swedish invasion of the Russian state at the beginning of the 17th century, part of the Russian nobility proclaimed him tsar, 1610 ; according to the Treaty of Polyanovsky, 1634, he renounced claims to the Russian throne); the name itself may have been borrowed from a famous character in the poems Bairdo and Ariosto (the Italian Astolfo corresponds to the Old French Estout, the name of one of the paladins of the Rolandic cycle).
8 Sage Thales. - Thales of Miletus (639-548 BC) - Greek philosopher, physicist, astronomer.
9 Paintings by Timantov, // And statues of Lysippos... - Timantov - Greek painter (IV century BC); his most famous painting is “The Sacrifice of Iphigenia”; in the XVI-XVII centuries. he was probably known from Pliny and Quintilian.
Lysippos is a famous Greek sculptor of the second half of the 4th century. BC e., many legends are associated with his name: during his lifetime he was highly revered and enjoyed the special favor of Alexander the Great, whose herm, created by Lysippos, was very popular in the 17th century. For Calderon, it is important that Lysippos began to study nature and thereby marked the beginning of the Hellenistic stage in art, the main principle of which was the depiction of the spiritual in man. Both artists lived in Sikyon. In this city, art flourished in antiquity and was known for freedom of creativity.
10 ...similar - // To be born into the world and die ... - A thought often repeated by Calderon. The image of a monster killing a mother with its birth is in the autograph “The Great Theater of the World.”
11 In the delirium of the night and in dreams // Repeatedly repeated // One cruel vision // Of his unfortunate mother... - In ancient times, the dreams that pregnant women have were considered prophetic.
12 The rays of the wicked planet // They can only influence the will, // They cannot force it. — Since ancient times, there has been an idea that a person can change his destiny despite fate, with the help of free will. In Calderon's dramas, “liberum arbitrium”, “free will”, becomes a universal concept that in ethics means freedom of choice, honor, dignity, etc.; in epistemology - the ability of man to comprehend his dependence on the necessity of nature.
13 How do we Seneca of the Spanish rivers... - Seneca (c. 4 BC - 65) - Latin philosopher and writer, born in the Spanish province of the Roman Empire. He was widely known in Spanish literature of the 15th-17th centuries. and had a great influence on her. Calderon compares Basilio to Seneca in the sense of “a sage who knew the vanity of the world and began to study providence and free will.” It is also possible to correlate with Juan II of Castile (1406-1454), who was called the “Spanish Seneca” because he promoted Seneca’s ideas in Spain.
Jornada II
1 Clarin will wake you up, he sings, // And like a horn, he gives the message. — Gongora's romance "Contando esta'ban sus rayos" is quoted.
2 ...so in a woman, he, therefore, // showed us a small sky. - This is a comparison repeated verbatim in other plays by Calderon: “The Great Theater of the World”, “In this life everything is true and everything is a lie.” In parody, it is based on the words of Pythagoras (c. 580-500 BC) that “man is a small world.” Literally from Calderon: “If a man is a small world, then a woman is a small sky.”
3 Astraea (Greek) - goddess of justice, daughter of Jupiter and Themis. Calderon has the “palace” name of Rosaura. This pseudonym contains the correlation of the main character with the idea of the highest good and justice.
4 They, like the Phoenix, rise up... - The Phoenix is a legendary bird, sacred in Ancient Egypt. Symbol of eternal life. According to legend, the Phoenix bird burned and was reborn from the ashes.
5 Or pocket Icarus //threw from the balcony into the water? - An allusion to the Greek myth of Icarus, who fell into the sea when he carelessly rose too close to the sun and melted the wax holding his wings together.
6 ...good lives forever, // Even though you did it in a dream. — The same poems are in Calderon’s autograph “The Great Theater of the World.”
Jornada III
1 If they call Silence a saint, // Marking it in the calendar, // I choose San Secreto... // To be my saint forever. - This refers to the “new style” - the calendar that was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. Christian calendars, according to the orders of the Second Council of Nicea (787), in addition to counting time, contained indications of church holidays and their dates, which became unclear after the introduction of the new calendar. This probably served as the basis for Clarin’s ironic remark: if Silence has been elevated to the rank of saint, then I will honor him as SanSecreto.
2 So let's step into the role. - This “impostor prince” motif is later used by Calderon in the play “In My Own Custody”, where Benito is accidentally mistaken for Prince Federico.
3 Meanwhile, the people, having learned // That they have a legitimate King, // Do not want a foreigner to rule over them. — It is likely that this motive was inspired by legends about the history of Dmitry. Interestingly, in Spain many believed in its authenticity. See about this in Lope de Vega’s play “The Grand Duke of Moscow” and in the article by N. I. Balashov, present. ed., p. 768.
4 So next to the Sun I will be Bellona... - Bellona in Roman mythology is the goddess of war, her functions were identified with Mars.
5 I will enter into competition with Pallas. - The Greek goddess of wisdom Pallas Athena, in Roman mythology - Minerva, was often interpreted as the goddess of military intelligence and strategy. By Pallas in this case, Estrella means his rival Rosaura.
6 In order to believe in madness, // That in the various changes // Danae, Leda and Europe // He appeared as a golden shower, // A bull and a swan. - This refers to Zeus and three myths associated with him (about Danae, to whom he appeared in the guise of golden rain, about Leda, who accepted Zeus as a swan, about Europa, abducted by Zeus, who appeared to her in the guise of a bull).
7 Her tyrant was so Aeneas // His own, abandoned by him, Troy, // That he even left her a sword. — The comparison is based on a legend (Virgil, Aeneid, book 2), according to which, after the Greeks captured Troy, Aeneas and the surviving Trojans left the city, abandoning their armor there. Calderon builds the image based on the details of this legend.
8 In my spiritual Babylon // I spoke in silence. — Metaphorical play on the biblical image of the Babylonian pandemonium by the confusion (confusion of languages) among the builders of the tower and the city of Babylon.
9 Yes, I found out, human happiness // Everything passes like a quick dream. A paraphrase of the saying “Sic transit gloria mundi” (“this is how the glory of the world passes”) from the popular in Europe “De Imitatio Christi”, 1441 (Russian edition “On the Imitation of Christ” translated by MM Speransky, 1819), attributed to the German mystic Thomas a à Kempis (1379 -1471). From the 16th century the phrase was pronounced when popes were enthroned.
D. G. Makogonenko
Summary of Calderon's play “Life is a Dream”
Spanish Pedro Calderón de la Barca. La vida es sueño · 1635 Summary of the play Readable in 7 minutes, original - 2 hours
Segismundo's confusion when he wakes up in shackles and animal skins defies description. Clotaldo explains to him that everything he saw was a dream, like all of life, but, he says edifyingly, “even in a dream / good remains good.” This explanation makes an indelible impression on Segismundo, who now looks at the world from this angle.
Basilio decides to hand over his crown to Astolfo, who does not give up his claim to Estrella's hand. The Infanta asks her new friend Astrea to get her the portrait that the Prince of Muscovy wears on his chest. Astolfo recognizes her, and an explanation takes place between them, during which Rosaura initially denies that she is her. Yet, by hook or by crook, she manages to snatch her portrait from Astolfo - she does not want another woman to see it. Her resentment and pain know no bounds, and she sharply reproaches Astolfo for treason.
