La Celestina: Renaissance Theater’s Defining Work
Renaissance Theater and La Celestina
Compared to religious drama, the late 15th century marks the beginning of a new generation: Renaissance theater. Among the major works of this period, a significant genre is La Celestina, a drama written to be read, not performed, which mimics the Italian humanist comedy.
Fernando de Rojas: The Author
Fernando de Rojas was a man of laws, a converso, born in Toledo around 1475. He lived in various Castilian cities until his death in 1541. Rojas found the first act of the play already written and from there wrote the remaining 15 acts.
Editions and Evolution of the Work
The 1499 Edition: Comedy of Calisto and Melibea
The book appeared in 1499, with no record of the author’s name, and its title was Comedy of Calisto and Melibea. This edition consisted of 16 acts.
The 1502 Edition: Tragicomedy of Calisto and Melibea
In 1502, a larger version of 21 acts appeared, which included an acrostic verse revealing the author’s name. The title was changed to Tragicomedy of Calisto and Melibea. This edition included a foreword in which the author justified the inclusion of 5 additional acts at the request of readers, due to the work’s great success. The importance of the central character, Celestina, led the work to be known historically by this new title.
Characteristics of La Celestina
The work is a dialogue, modeled after Italian humanistic comedies, which in turn imitated Latin classics. Such comedies were written to be read, emphasizing the emotional and psychological analysis of the characters. La Celestina combines features of both theater (a play in dialogue) and novel (sentimental and psychological tone).
Plot Summary: The Tragedy of Calisto and Melibea
Argument
Calisto, a young man from a good family, falls for Melibea, who initially rejects him. Advised by his servant Sempronio, he seeks out a procuress, Celestina, despite warnings from Pármeno, another of his servants, against the old woman.
The procuress uses her wiles to gain trust and induce a love affair between the two young lovers. She also wins Pármeno’s trust by promising him romance with one of her brothel’s prostitutes. Calisto pays the old woman with a gold chain. Because he does not want to share this benefit with his servants, they murder her. The servants are caught by justice.
Meanwhile, the lovers have a nocturnal meeting. Calisto hears a commotion on the other side of the wall and, going to see what happens, falls down the stairs and dies. Melibea tells her father what happened and, in despair, commits suicide by jumping from a tower. The book closes with the lament of Pleberio, the young woman’s father, for his daughter’s death.
Characters and Themes
Realistic Characters
The characters are realistic, and the work portrays them with all their passions. Calisto and Melibea are motivated by love; the servants by Celestina and greed. These characters do not conform to earlier literary models.
Key Themes
- Fortune: Chance moves the characters and leads to death.
- Love: The central driving force, often leading to tragic consequences.
- Death: An inevitable outcome for many characters, often violent.
Author’s Intentions and Style
Author’s Intentions
- Warning to Lovers: According to the author, the intent was to warn lovers about the dangers of love.
- Caution Against Procuresses and Servants: To caution against the procuresses and servants of the time.
- Moralizing Intent: The characters die as divine punishment for breaking the social norms of the time.
- Pagan Elements: Suicide and the individuality of characters are not presented as reprehensible.
Literary Style
Each character speaks according to their social standing:
- Formal Register: Used by Calisto, Melibea, and their parents.
- Colloquial Register: Used by the servants and prostitutes.
- Celestina’s Adaptability: Celestina adapts her language to the environment she is in.