Life is A Dream by Calderon de la Barca - Essay Example

The main character of the play Segismundo is of particular significance due to the fact that on his example Calderon conveys the message that even the most virtuous people can turn evil. The path of this character starts from discovering the darkest corners of his soul and leads him to acknowledgement that the balance of good and bad in his life depends on his actions. Being isolated from his community for the whole life, Segismundo does not have enough knowledge about social norms and morality in the beginning of the play; this lack of knowledge and self-control makes him evil.

Born to be a normal child, he is sent to the tower due to the astrological prediction that foresees how he will ruin his fathers life. The old prison keeper Clotaldo is the only person Segismundo sees in the tower; he grows up full of hatred to those people who have taken away his freedom. When Rosaura comes to the tower, Segismundo’s first impulse is to kill her because she is a stranger on his territory. Segismundos soul is preoccupied by evil feelings of despair and revenge for his life in captivity and he desires to pour away his inner anger on someone else.

This evil creature dressed in animal skins does not look as a human being; his laments are scary and full of anger. However, they still trigger sympathy in readers because Segismundo did nothing bad in his life. Segismundo is a victim of the situation, but he cannot manage his anger and it drives his thoughts and actions in wrong direction. This example shows that people often do wrong things when they do not think soberly. In it natural to experience anger but this feeling is very dangerous if people fail to control it.

Contrary to the beginning of the play, Segismundo behaves as a good person in the end. The contrast in his behavior is really significant; he can control his baser instincts and act as a good person taking care of people around him. For instance, he