SceneFiend library
Life is a Dream
By Pedro Calderon De La Barca - Stage play
Roles
- King Basilio - Adult (36-50), Senior (>50), Male
About this piece
The King
Summary
The central character of this play is Segismundo, the prince of Poland, son of King Basilio, who has been imprisoned all his life in a secluded tower as at the time of his birth it had been prophesised that he would have grown to become a tyrant and a violent ruler. Nobody actually knows that Segismundo is still alive as the king had told everybody that he had died in childbirth. Hence the apparent heirs to the king's throne were Astolfo and Estrella, the son and daughter of the king's sisters, who are supposed to marry. This monologue comes in the second scene of the first act as the king, in a speech, reveals that prince Segismundo is still alive and that he had him locked in the tower as a series of bad omens at the moment of his birth had prophesized that he was going to become a tyrant. For example his wife had dreamed that "a serpent tore her entrails" just before conceiving. When his wife died giving birth to him and an eclipse took place, the king decided to lock him in a tower. Now he will ask for forgiveness and will make him king to test his character. If he proves to be a tyrant and an evil person, he will dethrone him and give the throne to the children of his sisters...
Tone
Use cases
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