Read this when
Life Is a Dream
Raised in a cage, judged as a monster, finally free. Segismundo's real flex? Choosing not to take revenge. ⛓️
Who it's for
Segismundo has been chained in a tower since birth because his father feared a prophecy that he would become a tyrant, so when he is released for one day, his violence seems to prove the prophecy that caused it.
Feelings it meets
What it is
Pedro Calderón de la Barca's Spanish Golden Age play premiered in 1635. Segismundo, Prince of Poland, has been confined in a tower by his father, King Basilio, because of a prophecy. Freed for a trial at court, he behaves violently, so he is drugged and returned to the tower and told it was all a dream.
Where to find it
Public domain in the US in older translations (e.g., Denis Florence MacCarthy's 19th-century version; check Project Gutenberg); modern translations (Racz, Edmundson) are in copyright, in print and in.
Before you start
Heads up: Threatened sexual assault; a child imprisoned.
Age: Ages 14+
I am malicious because I am miserable.Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, Chapter 17
