Life Is a Dream: Pedro Calderon de la Barca

The constant interest in "Life Is a Dream," Calderon's masterpiece, hails not only from the play's complex philosophy, but also from its notable dramatic structure. The play is a derivation of the Christian legend of Barlaam and Josaphat, itself a derivation of the legend of the early years of the Buddha, in which the central argument is the conflict between free will and predestination.