Pedro Calderón de la Barca was born in Madrid in 1600. He was a soldier and priest, philosophical poet and playwright. His life spanned the reign of three kings (Philip III, Philip IV and Charles II). He saw Europe go through pacifism, the Thirty Years' War and the change in hegemony towards the more bourgeois north. In Spain he witnessed the loss of Flanders and the rebellions of Catalonia, Portugal, Aragon and Andalusia. The wide range of registers to be found in his work is a mirror and manifestation of the crisis of modernity. He streamlined the form known as the 'Comedia Nueva', or New Comedy, eliminating superfluous scenes and secondary characters, and brought the individual and his conflicts to the fore. In his dramatic style he placed particular emphasis on the staging of his work, which he described as the 'memory of appearances'. 'Life is a dream' is his most universal work. He died in Madrid in 1681.
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The Mayor of Zalamea
"Honour drama" written by Calderón de la Barca in which the individual is confronted with the reigning classes.
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The Phantom Lady
A cloak and dagger comedy by Calderón de la Barca, inspired by the Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche.
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The prodigious magician
Manuscript written in Calderón de la Barca's own hand, containing an incomplete version of the work, a magnificent example of religious comedy.
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Spanish National Library (Madrid) -
Life is a Dream
Calderón de la Barca's masterpiece, considered to be one of the best Spanish plays of all times, in which the author reflects on freedom and predestination.
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Basta callar: comedia en tres jornadas (It Suffices to Shut Up: a three-day comedy)
Long version of the comedy by Calderón de la Barca. Most of it is an autograph, although it has notes by different people.
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Spanish National Library (Madrid)
Other highlighted works
- The constant prince
- The great theatre of the world
- The surgeon of his honour
