Morality, Honor, and Vengeance Theme Analysis

Calderón’s Life is a Dream is often interpreted as a didactic play of moral and Christian instruction. In addition to the story of Segismundo and his transformation from monster to righteous and good man, the play also examines the moral dilemmas encountered by Clotaldo and Basilio. Special attention, however, is placed on the story of Rosaura, a woman of noble birth whose honor is stolen by Astolfo, the Duke of Muscovy and the potential heir to the throne of Poland. Just as Rosaura’s mother, Violante, was seduced by Clotaldo and left to fend for herself, Astolfo seduces Rosaura and then abandons her. Disguised as a strange man, Rosaura arrives at the palace in Warsaw with the intention of seeking revenge on Astolfo for stealing her virtue and honor, but she is unable to convince either Segismundo or Clotaldo to help her kill Astolfo. In refusing to help Rosaura kill Astolfo to avenge her honor, however, Segismundo actually restores both Rosaura’s lost honor and his own. Through the characters of Rosaura and Segismundo, and the unexpected way in which Rosaura regains her honor, Calderón effectively argues for the importance of morality and implies that there is nothing honorable about revenge.

At the start, both Rosaura and Segismundo are convinced that revenge is the key to regaining their lost honor. Clotaldo, however, tries to persuade them otherwise, which implies that seeking revenge is not moral. Clotaldo is not initially against killing Astolfo, until Astolfo intervenes on Clotaldo’s behalf when Segismundo tries to kill him. Astolfo arrives “disregarding his own peril, / to display in [Clotaldo’s] defense / his good will.” Despite his poor treatment of Rosaura, Astolfo proves himself to be a good and decent man in at least some situations, and Clotaldo can’t bring himself to harm his savior. Even though Clotaldo wants to help Rosaura and defend her honor, he refuses to kill Astolfo for her. Though the decision is difficult for him, Clotaldo essentially decides to prioritize integrity and gratitude over revenge. Clotaldo also tries to convince Segismundo that his desire to seek revenge on his father, King Basilio, for imprisoning him is not the right thing to do either—even if Segismundo is only dreaming. Clotaldo argues that Segismundo should honor his father at all times, and he explains that “even in dreams / good deeds are never wasted.” Clotaldo’s argument suggests that it is most important to always behave in a way that is moral and righteous, even if that means forfeiting one’s chance for revenge. 

Segismundo recognizes the consequences of revenge and the importance of morality before Rosaura does, and, like Clotaldo, he refuses to help Rosaura exact her revenge on Astolfo. His refusal again suggests that Rosaura’s desire for vengeance is not righteous or moral. After Rosaura swears her loyalty to Segismundo and pleads for his assistance in defending her lost honor, Segismundo says “it is essential to honor” that he refuse Rosaura’s request. The honorable thing, Segismundo claims, is not to seek vengeance. “My voice doesn’t answer you,” Segismundo says to Rosaura, “so that my honor can.” In this riddle of sorts, Segismundo implies that while it may seem as if he is doesn’t wish to help Rosaura, he actually does want to—but to him, helping her means focusing on honor rather than revenge. Segismundo vows that he will restore Rosaura’s honor and good name before he recovers his own crown, although it will not occur in quite the way Rosaura envisions it.

It is through Rosaura, and with the help of Clotaldo, that Segismundo ultimately discovers that he cannot realize his rightful role as king if he seeks his own revenge against his father. After Segismundo spares his father’s life following the people’s revolt and is made king of Poland, he decrees that Astolfo must marry Rosaura to restore her lost honor. In ordering the marriage between Astolfo and Rosaura, Segismundo demonstrates that while honor is important, it doesn’t require revenge—and in fact, vengeance actually goes against honor. It is more honorable, Calderón thus implies, to always behave in a way that is moral. Segismundo’s actions restore both Rosaura’s honor and his own, as he has officially redeemed himself and proven that he is not an animal as the prophecy claims, but is instead a man of deep morals and righteousness.