Recognised as Calderón’s finest drama, Life is a Dream explores the instability of life and the illusory nature of the world. Set in a mythical version of the kingdom of Poland, the play tells the story of King Basilio who imprisons his son at birth because he fears he will grow up to be a tyrant. Calderón considers the power of the contrasting forces of free will and determinism to shape human character and destiny in this complex philosophical drama.