Abstract

This essay studies two myths that have been proposed as sources for La vida es sueño: the myth of Uranus castrated by Saturn and the story of Saturn dethroned by Jupiter. While both have to do with the confrontation between father and son (Basilio and Segismundo), each brings different themes and motifs to the work. The first has to do with the retention of power and the opposition to freedom; while the second appears in its astrological sense. Basilio is related to the malefic influence of Saturn that leads to incarceration. In its positive aspects, the saturnine influences that fall upon Segismundo allow him to eventually conceive a broader vision, thus pardoning the father and becoming part of a new Golden Age presaged by Rosaura/Astraea. Ruben’s painting, Saturn Devouring his Son, help us to visualize the complementarity that exists between the two major myths that are at the basis of the conflict in Calderón’s work

Abstract

This paper challenges Don Cruickshank’s interpretation of Amor, honor y poder who speculates on the parallels between some play’s characters (Rey Eduardo, Flérida, Teobaldo) and historical personnages in 1623, when the play was performed in Madrid (Philip IV, María Anna of Spain, Prince of Wales). The author shows the flaws in Cruickshank’s arguments and at the end provides some methodological reflections on the analysis and interpretation of dramatic texts.