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Act One
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Life is a Dream, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Fate vs. Free Will
Dreams vs. Reality
Morality, Honor, and Vengeance
Summary
Analysis
Clotaldo and Basilio enter the palace, and Clotaldo says that he has carried out each of the king’s orders. He mixed a powerful potion of herbs, which, with a “tyrannical force,” put Segismundo into a deep sleep resembling death. Clotaldo went to visit Segismundo in his cell under the pretense of a lesson, and took with him the potion made of opium, poppy, and henbane. Clotaldo taught Segismundo all about the mighty eagle, the “queen of the birds,” and at the mention of kingship, Segismundo was suddenly interested. “In reality,” Clotaldo says, Segismundo’s royal blood “stirs him.”
The “tyrannical force” of the potion mirrors Segismundo’s tyrannical fate. The deep sleep induced by the potion will later allow Basilio and Clotaldo to more easily convince Segismundo that his experience as the prince was just a dream, but even that won’t keep him from becoming king—though he turns out to be a kind ruler rather than a tyrant. Clotaldo’s claim that Segismundo’s royal blood stirs him “in reality” further blurs the line between illusion and reality. Reality in the play is a matter of perception, but Clotaldo implies that Segismundo knows deep down who he really is.
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Segismundo was surprised to learn that even the birds are obedient, and he swore that he would never submit to another “of [his] own free will.” At that point, Clotaldo gave Segismundo the potion, and he fell into a deep sleep. The guards then placed Segismundo in the carriage and brought him to the palace, where they placed him in King Basilio’s luxurious bed. Now that Clotaldo has done exactly as the king has ordered, he asks Basilio what his intentions are in bringing Segismundo to the palace.
Segismundo’s comment that he won’t submit to another “of [his] own free will” is ironic, since Basilio is banking on Segismundo’s free will to prove the prophecy wrong. Clotaldo doesn’t know why Basilio wants Segismundo sedated and brought to the palace; he simply does as he is ordered, which again reflects Clotaldo’s honor and his unquestionable loyalty to the king.
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Segismundo, Basilio reminds Clotaldo, is destined for “a thousand misfortunes and tragedies,” and Basilio wants to find out if heaven “can be assuaged, or at least / mollified, and whether, overcome / by merit and wisdom, / it can go back on its word.” In short, Basilio wants to know if Segismundo can overcome his evil nature. If he is violent and tyrannical, however, Basilio promises he will send him back to prison at once.
Basilio expects that Segismundo would be exceedingly upset to find out that he is a prince only to be sent back to prison, which is why Basilio insisted that Segismundo be brought to the palace in a deep sleep. That way, Segismundo’s true nature can be tested after he wakes, and then if he does need to be sent back to prison, they can tell him it was all a dream. Clotaldo claims there are many arguments that prove Basilio’s idea wrong, but it is too late now. They hear Segismundo heading their way, and as Basilio slips out of the room, he tells Clotaldo that he should be the one to explain to Segismundo who he is.
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Clarín enters, and Clotaldo is reminded that Rosaura is definitely a woman. Clarín says that Rosaura has changed into more appropriate clothing, has changed her name, and is posing as Clotaldo’s niece. She is being treated as one of Estrella’s ladies-in-waiting, and she is looking forward to the moment when Clotaldo avenges her honor. Suddenly, a very confused Segismundo enters the room followed by several servants. “To say I’m dreaming is mistaken,” Segismundo cries in disbelief. “I know very well I’m awake!”
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Clotaldo approaches Segismundo and asks to kiss his hand. Segismundo is even more confused. He asks why the man who usually treats him so badly in prison is suddenly treating him with such respect. Clotaldo explains that while Segismundo may doubt it, he is actually the crown prince of Poland. He has lived shackled in the prison because it is his fate to be a wicked tyrant, but his father, King Basilio, believes that Segismundo’s good sense can overcome his evil nature. Segismundo is furious, and he immediately turns on Clotaldo.
Segismundo threatens to kill Clotaldo with his bare hands for lying to him, and a servant steps in to defend Clotaldo. The servant tries to convince Segismundo that Clotaldo was only obeying the king, but Segismundo insists that the king does not have to be obeyed if his orders violate the law. Segismundo threatens to throw the servant out the window, and Clotaldo, before slipping out of the room, tells Segismundo that he is behaving so badly and has no idea that he is only dreaming.
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Astolfo enters, and Segismundo greets him, but Astolfo feels that Segismundo has not given him enough respect. He tells Segismundo that he is his cousin and insists they are equals, which only irritates Segismundo further. He doesn’t see how he has possibly disrespected Astolfo, but he is distracted as Estrella enters the room. She greets Segismundo warmly, and Clarín introduces her as Segismundo’s cousin. Segismundo asks if he may kiss Estrella’s hand, which upsets Astolfo. The servant again interjects, explaining to Segismundo that his behavior is too forward. Segismundo grabs the servant angrily and drags him to the balcony, throwing the man over the edge.
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Estrella yells out for help, and Astolfo tries to convince Segismundo to calm down, but Segismundo threatens to take his head off. As Astolfo exits, King Basilio enters, demanding to know what is going on. Segismundo explains that the servant irritated him, so he threw him from the balcony. Basilio tells Segismundo that he is sorry to see him behaving so badly. He had hoped to reconnect with Segismundo, but now he is only afraid of him. Segismundo claims he doesn’t need Basilio, as no decent father would treat his son the way Basilio has treated him, “like a wild animal.”
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Basilio tells Segismundo that he wishes he had never been born, and Segismundo curses Basilio for depriving him of his liberty. Basilio tells Segismundo that even though he thinks he is awake, he is actually dreaming, but Segismundo refuses to believe him. As Basilio and Segismundo bicker, Astolfo and Estrella exit, and Rosaura enters, dressed as a lady-in-waiting.
Rosaura is afraid that she will run into Astolfo. Clotaldo has advised her to stay away from Astolfo and claims that he will worry about avenging her honor. Segismundo is immediately taken by Rosaura’s beauty. He does not recognize her as the same stranger who wandered into his prison cell and asks her name. Rosaura says only that she is one of Estrella’s ladies-in-waiting, and Clotaldo comes back into the room.
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Segismundo tells Rosaura that he threw the servant from the balcony, and she says she understands why it was predicted that Segismundo will be a tyrant and a “wild beast.” Segismundo says that he will show her how much of a monster he really is and orders Clarín to leave the room. Rosaura is frightened and is convinced she is about to die, but Clotaldo comes to her rescue. He again tells Segismundo that he is in a dream, but Segismundo says it doesn’t matter. He can kill Clotaldo in a dream just as easily as he can in real life.
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Segismundo attempts to draw his dagger, but Clotaldo holds his hand. Segismundo orders him to let go, but Clotaldo refuses until Segismundo agrees to behave. The two men struggle, and Segismudo threatens to kill him. Rosaura yells for help and runs from the room, and Astolfo rushes in, coming to Clotaldo’s aid. As Astolfo and Segismundo draw their swords, Basilio enters the room with Estrella. Segismundo threatens to kill Astolfo, too, and he tells Basilio that he will get revenge for his imprisonment. Basilio assures Segismundo that before he gets his revenge, he will wake up and discover that this has all been just a dream.
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Basilio and Clotaldo exit, but Estrella and Astolfo stay behind. Astolfo claims that he isn’t surprised that Segismundo has behaved so deplorably, but he promises to treat Estrella like the lady she is. Estrella tells Astolfo that his compliments must be meant for the woman in the portrait in the pendant around his neck, and Rosaura slips into the room unnoticed. Astolfo promises to remove the portrait and replace it with Estrella’s, but as he exits, he thinks about Rosaura and asks for her forgiveness.
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Estrella notices Rosaura. “Astraea!” she cries, calling Rosaura by the name Clotaldo has given her disguise. Estrella tells Rosaura that in the short time she has known her, she has grown to trust her, and she tells her all about her troubles with Astolfo. He says he wants to marry her, but he wears the portrait of another in a pendant around his neck. He has gone to get the pendant, Estrella says, to give to her, but she is embarrassed and prefers that he give it to Rosaura instead.
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Estrella exits, and Rosaura is distraught. No one has ever been forced to endure such misfortune, she cries. She doesn’t know what she should do. Clotaldo has advised her against revealing her true identity, and she doesn’t want to disappoint him, but she can’t hide herself from Astolfo forever. As Rosaura prays to God, Astolfo returns with the portrait and is shocked to find her there. Rosaura asks why he is so surprised. “I am Astraea,” she says. Astolfo says he knows that she is supposed to be Astraea, but he loves her as Rosaura.
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Rosaura tells Astolfo that she doesn’t know what he is talking about. She only knows that Estrella has ordered her to wait for him and retrieve a portrait. Astolfo tells Rosaura that if she insists on keeping up her game, he will play along. He says that since he esteems Estrella so, he is sending her the portrait’s original. All Rosaura has to do, Astolfo says, is bring Estrella herself. Rosaura demands the portrait and says she will not return without it, but Astolfo refuses. Astolfo and Rosaura begin to fight over the portrait, and Estrella enters. “Astraea, Astolfo,” she asks, “what’s going on?”
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Rosaura quickly comes up with a lie. She tells Estrella that when she ordered her to get the portrait from Astolfo, it reminded her that she had brought her own portrait. She had stopped to look at it as she waited and dropped it. Astolfo picked it up and now refuses to give it back. Instead of giving her the portrait in his possession, he has taken hers and now has two.
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Estrella orders Astolfo to give her the portrait and snatches it from his hand. She looks at it and agrees it indeed fits Rosaura’s likeness. She then demands that Astolfo give her the portrait she asked for. She doesn’t intend to ever speak to him again, Estrella says, but she refuses to let him keep the portrait. Astolfo wonders how he will ever get out of such a terrible situation. He tells Estrella that he can’t give her the portrait, and Estrella says he can’t give it to her because he is a no-good man. “Damn you, Rosaura!” Astolfo yells, as Segismundo, sleeping and dressed in animal skins with his legs shackled, is carried out of the palace by soldiers.
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Clotaldo, Clarín, and two servants enter, and Clotaldo orders Clarín seized and locked up. Clarín asks why, and Clotaldo claims it is because Clarín knows his secrets. “You’re a ‘Clarion,’” Clotaldo says. Basilio enters, upset that Segismundo must be sent back to prison. Segismundo begins to dream and talk in his sleep, and Clotaldo and Basilio move in closer to listen. As Segismundo sleeps, he calls for Clotaldo’s death and for Basilio to bow at his feet.
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Back at the prison, the potion begins to lose its strength, and Segismundo wakes. “God help me,” Segismundo yells, “all the things I dreamt!” Clotaldo scolds Segismundo for sleeping all day. He claims that Segismundo fell asleep during his lesson on eagles, and has been sleeping ever since. Clotaldo asks Segismundo what he has dreamt, and Segismundo says that he was the prince of Poland. He admits that he tried to kill Clotaldo twice, sought revenge on his father for imprisoning him, and met beautiful women. Clotaldo exits, but before he does, he tells Segismundo that he should have honored the king. “[B]ecause even in dreams,” Clotaldo says, “good deeds are never wasted.”
