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Social History of Spain and Portugal

Essay Instructions:

First, thank you for taking on this task. Second, I need the paper by 10am tomorrow so I can have time to print it out for my class which is at 12:30. Here is the assignment:



A close reading of one of the plays assigned for the course (Life

is a Dream). What does this play tell you about the nature of Spanish society, about its values, social mores, expectations, political culture? This assignment is not a summary of the play, but an attempt to use literature as a historical source. The paper should be 6 pages or longer. Do not cite the website, cite the play.



The play, Life Is A Dream, can be found online easily. Here is one of the links to the play http://www(dot)gutenberg(dot)org/files/2587/2587-h/2587-h.htm.



Here is a wikipedia article about it: http://en(dot)wikipedia(dot)org/wiki/Life_Is_a_Dream

Essay Sample Content Preview:
Social history of Spain and Portugal: Life is a Dream, play
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Social history of Spain and Portugal: Life is a Dream, play
The play Life is a Dream by Calderon De La Barca was initially published in the year 1635 at the ending of the Spanish Golden Age. This play is an intense, psychological exploration of the human being as a person/individual. It also explores the societal codes of conduct of Spain in 17th century Spanish society. The play is essentially a philosophical perspective on the importance of human existence as well as the mystery of human life. Spain experienced a considerable decline of possession and power globally during the ending of the Spanish Golden Age (Jones 12). This Spanish Empire fall would supplement and provide crucial insight in the observation as well as analysis of this play. This essay provides an analysis of what the play, Life is a Dream, says about the nature of Spanish society, its expectations, political culture, social mores, and values.
In this play, the playwright demonstrates that although life is no more real than one’s sleeping stories, the Golden Rule is still applicable. Relationships and actions still have relevance, and a person’s status is defined by the opinions of the people around him or her. The play is centred on a turbulent Kingdom in Poland and was written in 1635. Basilio, who is the king of Poland, has put in prison the rightful successor to the throne, Segismundo. Basilio fears the fateful presages – for instance the queen’s death during child birth – which accompanied the birth of Segismundo would bring obliteration to the monarchy. However, several years later, the king decides to free Segismundo and makes him prince; but only if his son would not lash out at those the king ordered to tell him that his former life of incarceration was just a dream (De La Barca 19). As he interacts with the people who are around him, the prince ultimately learns that it is better to treat other people as he wishes other people to treat him – although he is led to believe that life was just a dream.
Life is a Dream follows a tradition of respect to loyalty as well as honour of women; hence, it is reasonable to point out that the play says that during the 17th century, it was expected for people in the Spanish society to respect loyalty and women. Calderon De La Barca was concerned with life’s psychology: the subject of the human being as a member of a social structure, and as an individual. Jones (21) stated that a common concept that plays of the Golden Age contain and which today’s audience can appreciate is arguably the honour code. In the play, the king strips Segismundo who is his son, of his honour – there is no life if one does not have honour, and until a life has been avenged to take revenge and even the score, it cannot be a life at all. Astolfo is followed by Rosaura to Poland as she seeks to avenge Astolfo’s desertion of her. The play reveals that the honour code represented the established and acknowledged principles of living during Spain’s Golden Age in the 17th century. A person’s name, repute – including a person’s repute regarding sex – were held in very high esteem. The honour code in fact transcended the law or religion.
Rosaura’s pursuit of Astolfo can be seen as a journey through gender into empowerment and self-knowledge. This shape-changing, strange woman plays out, in both her dress and her nature, a conflict of feminine and masculine. Rosaura is a huntress of marriage, man, or honour, and is always active and extreme. Having let herself go extremely far in Moscow with Astolfo, Rosaura goes just as far in taking revenge for her honour and accomplishing her objectives. For Rosaura just like for Segismundo, Life is a Dream can be considered as a Freudian-Lacanian allegory with regard to the emerging of selfhood and sexuality (Jones 25). She shows how people during Spain’s Golden Age could go to the extremes to avenge their honour. Although the action of the play mostly focuses on Segismundo’s search for himself, other characters in this play struggle to do something that they feel is appropriate according to the traditions of Spain and with their own beliefs and thinking. As such, the play seemingly says in 17th century Spain, people were expected to act and behave according to the established traditions, but an individual could also act in accordance with his or her own philosophies.
With regard to the social mores and expectations of the Spanish society, the play also tells the audience that it was important for people to always do the right thing. The play presen...
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