MSS141 Reading Questions for Calderón's Life is a Dream
Act One

1.  Who are Rosaura & Clarin?  Segismundo and Clotaldo?  How do the former come to meet the latter?  What is Segismundo's plight?

2.  Why does Clotaldo fear he will have to kill Rosaura & Clarin and why is he loathe to do so?

3.  Why is Rosaura dressed as a man?

4.  Explain the family intrigue surrounding the king Basilio.  What is Astolfo's motivation regarding Estrella?  

5.  What is the king's plan for Segismundo?  What are his reasons for creating this "most amazing event"(24)?

6.  Trace the various ways in which the characters in Act 1 seek to deceive each other.  Do you also finds instances of self-deception?  

7.  Note how Segismundo is described.  What kind of man is he?  How is he described by his father?

8.  Compare the attitudes and actions of Basilio and Clotaldo towards their children.  What picture of fatherhood does Calderón portray?

9.  What is the role of Clarin in the play?