Segismundo's Soliloquy
Life Is a Dream is one of Calderón's most well-known and well-studied works. This interest not only hails from the play's complex philosophy, but also from its notable dramatic structure. However, ever since Marcelino Menéndez y Pelayo's 1910 classification of Life Is a Dream as a philosophical drama, criticism has largely dwelled on the existential issues of the work, often at the cost of paying specific attention to its formal dramatic characteristics.
A few central ideas constitute the major philosophical themes of the play: the opposition between destiny and liberty, the topic of life as a dream, and the theme of free will. These central themes overshadow other themes present, like the education of princes, the model ruler, power, and justice.
Focusing on Segismundo's line, "Y los sueños, sueños son", a more accurate English translation, better representing Calderón's poetic and philosophical intent, may be given as: "And dreams themselves are merely the dreams of dreams", implying and underscoring the ephemeral nature of human life and physical existence.
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