Pedro Calderón de la Barca Books
Pedro Calderón de la Barca was a dramatist of the Spanish Golden Age who polished and perfected dramatic forms and genres. Where Lope de Vega's strength lay in spontaneity, Calderón's excelled in poetic beauty, dramatic structure, and philosophical depth. A perfectionist, he often reworked his plays to enhance their complexity and unity, and particularly shone in the "auto sacramental" genre, bringing new dramatic forms to theological subjects.







The most famous of all Calderon's varied and romantic dramas, this seventeenth-century masterpiece by the great Spanish playwright explores the conflict between free will and predestination as it focuses on the life of Segismundo, a Polish prince imprisoned at birth by his father, the King. The monarch's heartless action, precipitated by astrologers who predict the boy will one day usurp the throne, paves the way for a series of events that turn the son against the father and lead to rebellion. Years later, following a revolution and the peasants' seizure of power, the grim prophecy uttered at the Prince's birth threatens to become a painful reality. For this edition, Stanley Appelbaum has written an informative introduction and an excellent new literal translation that appears on pages facing the Spanish original. A valuable text for students of Spanish language and literature, this volume will delight any reader interested in classics from Spain's Golden Age of drama.
A new translation of Calderon's most popular mystery.
Three Plays
- 191 pages
- 7 hours of reading
Collection of three plays by Spanish Golden Age playwright Pedro Calderon, all translated by British playwright, poet and novelist Adrian Mitchell. Includes Mayor of Zalamea which was staged at the National Theatr.
Mysteries of Corpus Christi
- 364 pages
- 13 hours of reading
This collection contains three unique plays with the common theme of Corpus Christi. The plays revolve around the Christian festivals celebrated throughout Spain during the Middle Ages. The depiction of these events is done through both poetry and prose, highlighting the characteristic style of Pedro Calderón de la Barca, one of Spain's most prominent dramatists of the period.
This book is a collection of dramas that includes some of Calderon's most famous works such as El Principe Constante and El Secreto a Voces. Denis Florence MacCarthy has expertly translated these plays into English so that they can be enjoyed by a wider audience.
Life in Mexico During a Residence of Two Years in That Country; Volume 1
- 440 pages
- 16 hours of reading
A personal account of life in Mexico during the mid-nineteenth century by Madame Calderón de la Barca.
En Esta Vida Todo Es Verdad Y Todo Mentira: Comedia En Tres Actos Y En Verso
- 86 pages
- 4 hours of reading
The Attaché in Madrid, Or Sketches of the Court of Isabella H.: Translated From the German
- 388 pages
- 14 hours of reading