Segismundo grows as a prisoner, unaware of his status as successor of a throne. Nevertheless, one day Basilio doubts if the oracle was actually right. After much reflection, the king regrets his actions and orders to transfer Segismundo to the palace. The prince acts as expected: he offends and kills. As a results, the king, making Segismundo think that everything he had experienced was a mere dream -or rather, that life itself was just a dream-, sends him back to the tower.
During the stay of Segismundo in the palace, the people got to know his true identity and story, and so when they hear that he is sent back to the tower, they raise shouting for justice.
Sigismundo returned to court to take his throne; he behaved like a wise and righteous governor.
After analyzing this intriguing story inspired by Plato’s “The Republic”, we may conclude that every single person has a book, one that has our entire destiny prefixed and is written by God; hence we have to believe in it. Does the human being lack, then, of freedom? The answer is very complex, but I may anticipate that no. It depends not only of the interpretation that the individual makes on the heavenly book, since even the wisest, as Basilio, can make mistakes and misread the predispositions of God. But it also matters -and in fact is more fundamental- to understand that such predispositions of our destiny have a limit. See, the oracle that traces the destiny of Segismundo succeeds only in part, only with the aspects that did not revolve under the prince’s free will. The prophecy said that Segismundo was going to be the wickedest king of all, and as we know, he was not.
The philosophy of Calderón de la Barca implies that the predestination clearly inclines, but does not force the will of man. Now to belief in it is another thing. I personally don’t. Even though I enjoyed a lot reading this book, I disagree with the author’s theory of predestination. If it were true that God has written a book for all of us, and our lives are already prefixed, then why do people end in hell? If we are talking about this generous divinity (God) that wants love for all, and has the power to concede miracles, then why doesn’t he save such who are eternally condemned to live in the side of the devil? Is our God discriminatory? Does he choose who goes to heaven and who to hell? Of course not! As soon as we are born God gives us infinite freedom. He gives us the freedom to believe in him, to choose between the good and the evil, and so on.
If we were actually predestined, then we would have no responsibilities in our actions, our mind would not control our body, and human effort would have no value since everything would depend on God’s will.
All in all, we must respect everyone’s point of view. We can question the ideas of others, but it would be wrong to judge them. He who throws rocks to the immoral is even more immoral, right? Anyway, to leave clear my position on this issue: I believe that we are architects of our own future.