Segismundo’s release is a sort of trial run, or experiment, to see if one’s life is governed by fate or by free will. If Segismundo acts violently and behaves like a tyrant, the prophecy is correct, and it is Segismundo’s fate to be evil. But if Segismundo resists his evil nature and is kind and gentle, then free will wins out. Plus, if Segismundo does behave like a tyrant and need to be put back in prison, then Segismundo’s imprisonment is punishment, not just a precaution, and Basilio is off the hook and can stop feeling guilty about treating Segismundo so badly. Of course, what Basilio doesn’t consider here is the way that his treatment of Segismundo has already shaped Segismundo’s disposition—a point that will become very important later on.