PedroCalderondelaBarcawasborninMadrid，January17，1600，ofgoodfamily。HewaseducatedattheJesuitCollegeinMadridandattheUniversityofSalamanca;andadoubtfultraditionsaysthathebegantowriteplaysattheageofthirteen。Hisliteraryactivitywasinterruptedfortenyears，1625—1635，bymilitaryserviceinItalyandtheLowCountries，andagainforayearormoreinCatalonia。In1637
hebecameaKnightoftheOrderofSantiago，andin1651heenteredthepriesthood，risingtothedignityofSuperioroftheBrotherhoodofSanPedroinMadrid。HeheldvariousofficesinthecourtofPhilipIV，whorewardedhisserviceswithpensions，andhadhisplaysproducedwithgreatsplendor。HediedMay5，1681。
AtthetimewhenCalderonbegantocomposeforthestage，theSpanishdramawasatitsheight。LopedeVega，themostprolificand，withCalderon，thegreatest，ofSpanishdramatists，wasstillalive;andbyhisapplausegaveencouragementtothebeginnerwhosefamewastorivalhisown。ThenationaltypeofdramawhichLopehadestablishedwasmaintainedinitsessentialcharacteristicsbyCalderon，andheproducedabundantspecimensofallitsvarieties。Ofregularplayshehasleftahundredandtwenty;of\"AutosSacramentales，\"thepeculiarSpanishallegoricaldevelopmentofthemedievalmystery，wehaveseventy—three;besidesaconsiderablenumberoffarces。
ThedominantmotivesinCalderon\'sdramasarecharacteristicallynational:fervidloyaltytoChurchandKing，andasenseofhonorheightenedalmosttothepointofthefantastic。Thoughhisplaysarelaidinagreatvarietyofscenesandages，thesentimentandthecharactersremainessentiallySpanish;andthisintenselylocalqualityhasprobablylessenedthevogueofCalderoninothercountries。Intheconstructionandconductofhisplotsheshowedgreatskill，yettheingenuityexpendedinthemanagementofthestorydidnotrestrainthefieryemotionandopulentimaginationwhichmarkhisfinestspeechesandgivethemalyricqualitywhichsomecriticsregardashisgreatestdistinction。
OfallCalderon\'sworks，\"LifeisaDream\"mayberegardedasthemostuniversalinitstheme。Itseekstoteachalessonthatmaybelearnedfromthephilosophersandreligiousthinkersofmanyages——thattheworldofoursensesisamereshadow，andthattheonlyrealityistobefoundintheinvisibleandeternal。ThestorywhichformsitsbasisisOrientalinorigin，andintheformofthelegendof\"BarlaamandJosaphat\"wasfamiliarinalltheliteraturesoftheMiddleAges。
CombinedwiththisintheplotisthetaleofAbouHassanfromthe\"ArabianNights，\"themainsituationsinwhichareturnedtofarcicalpurposesintheInductiontotheShakespearean\"TamingoftheShrew。\"
ButwithCalderonthethemeisliftedaltogetheroutoftheatmosphereofcomedy，andisworkedupwithpoeticsentimentandatouchofmysticismintoasymbolicdramaofprofoundanduniversalphilosophicalsignificance。
LIFEISADREAM
DRAMATISPERSONAE
BasilioKingofPoland。
SegismundhisSon。
AstolfohisNephew。
EstrellahisNiece。
ClotaldoaGeneralinBasilio\'sService。
RosauraaMuscoviteLady。
FifeherAttendant。
Chamberlain，LordsinWaiting，Officers，Soldiers，etc。，inBasilio\'sService。
TheSceneofthefirstandthirdActsliesonthePolishfrontier:ofthesecondAct，inWarsaw。
AsthisversionofCalderon\'sdramaisnotforacting，ahigherandwidermountain—scenethanpracticablemaybeimaginedforRosaura\'sdescentinthefirstActandthesoldiers\'ascentinthelast。Thebadwatchkeptbythesentinelswhoguardedtheirstate—prisoner，togetherwithmuchelse（notall！）thatdefiessobersenseinthiswilddrama，ImustleaveCalderontoanswerfor;whoseaudiencewerenotcriticalofdetailandprobability，solongasagoodstory，withstrong，rapid，andpicturesqueactionandsituation，wassetbeforethem。
ACTI
SCENEI——Apassofrocks，overwhichastormisrollingaway，andthesunsetting:intheforeground，half—waydown，afortress。
（EnterfirstfromthetopmostrockRosaura，asfromhorseback，inman\'sattire;and，afterher，Fife。）
ROSAURA。
There，four—footedFury，blastEngender\'dbrute，withoutthewitOfbrute，ormouthtomatchthebitOfman——artsatisfiedatlast？
Who，whenthunderroll\'daloof，Tow\'rdthespheresoffireyourearsPricking，andthegranitekickingIntolightningwithyourhoof，Amongthetempest—shatter\'dcragsShatteringyourlucklessriderBackintothetempestpass\'d？
Therethenlietostarveanddie，OrfindanotherPhaetonMad—mettledasyourself;forI，Wearied，worried，andfor—done，Alonewilldownthemountaintry，Thatknitshisbrowsagainstthesun。
FIFE（astohismule）。
There，thoumis—begottenthing，Long—ear\'dlightning，tail\'dtornado，Griffin—hoof—inhurricano，（ImightsweartillIwerealmostHoarsewithroaringAsonante）
WhoforsoothbecauseourbettersWouldbegintokickandflingYouforthwithyournoblemindMustprove，andkickmeoffbehind，Tow\'rdtheverycentrewhitherGravitywasmostinclined。
TherewhereyouhavemadeyourbedInitlie;for，wetordry，Letwhatwillformebetideyou，Burning，blowing，freezing，hailing;
Faminewasteyou:devilrideyou:
Tempestbasteyoublackandblue:
（ToRosaura。）
There！IthinkindownrightrailingIcanholdmyownwithyou。
ROS。
Ah，mygoodFife，whosemerryloyalpipe，Comeweal，comewoe，isneveroutoftuneWhat，youinthesameplighttoo？
FIFE。
Ay;Andmadam——sir——herebydesire，WhenyouyourownadventuressingAnothertimeinloftyrhyme，Youdon\'tforgetthetrustysquireWhowentwithyouDon—quixoting。
ROS。
Well，mygoodfellow——toleavePegasusWhoscarcecanserveusthanourhorsesworse——
TheysaynooneshouldrobanotherofThesinglesatisfactionhehasleftOfsinginghisownsorrows;onesogreat，Sosayssomegreatphilosopher，thattroubleWereworthencount\'ringonlyforthesakeOfweepingover——whatperhapsyouknowSomepoetcallsthe\'luxuryofwoe。\'
FIFE。
HadIthepoetorphilosopherIntheplaceofherthatkick\'dmeofftoride，I\'dtesthistheoryuponhishide。
Butnobonesbroken，madam——sir，Imean？——
ROS。
Ascratchherethatahandkerchiefwillheal——
Andyou？——
FIFE。
Ascratchin/quiddity/，orkind:
Butnotin\'/quo/\'——mywoundsareallbehind。
But，asyousay，tostopthisstrain，Which，somehow，onceone\'sinthevein，Comesclatteringafter——thereagain！——
Whatarewetwain——deucetake\'t！——wetwo，Imean，todo——drench\'dthroughandthrough——
Oh，Ishallchokeofrhymes，whichIbelieveAreallthatweshallhavetoliveonhere。
ROS。
What，isourvictualgonetoo？——
FIFE。
Ay，thatbruteHascarriedallwehadawaywithher，Clothing，andcate，andall。
ROS。
Andnowthesun，Ouronlyfriendandguide，abouttosinkUnderthestageofearth。
FIFE。
AndenterNight，WithCapayEspada——and——prayheaven！
Withbutherlanthornalso。
ROS。
Ah，IdoubtTo—night，ifany，withadarkone——orAlmostburntoutafteramonth\'sconsumption。
Well！wellorill，onhorsebackorafoot，ThisisthegatethatletsmeintoPoland;
And，sorrywelcomeasshegivesaguestWhowriteshisownarrivalonherrocksInhisownblood——
Yetbetteronherstonythresholddie，ThanliveonunrevengedinMuscovy。