Analysis of La Celestina: A Tragicomedy of Love and Fate
La Celestina: A Tragicomedy of Love and Fate
Introduction
La Celestina, a provocative work in the 15th-century literary landscape, offers a glimpse into the social and hidden lifestyles of the time, contrasting with the reign of the Reyes Católicos. It focuses on a recognizable space and time, using contemporary language, even when the dramatic action and rhetorical expressions require a cultured voice.
The Controversy Surrounding La Celestina
The Issues:
La Celestina is characterized by a constant process of expansion. The first edition of 1499, titled “Comedy of Calisto and Melibea,” was a great publishing success and consisted of 16 acts. In 1502, a new edition emerged with significant changes. The title became “Calisto and Melibea Tragicomedy,” the play expanded to 21 acts, and an explicit didactic intention was added. According to Fernando de Rojas, the 5 new acts were added at the request of readers who desired a prolonged portrayal of the lovers’ delight.
The Literary Genre:
Some critics consider La Celestina a drama because it is constructed solely through the characters’ dialogue without a narrator. Others view it as a novel in dialogue, realistically parodying the sentimental novel, particularly the genre of “jail love.” La Celestina adopts the humorous style of comedy prevalent in Italy at that time, intended for reading rather than performance.
The Author:
It is widely believed that the first act was not written by Fernando de Rojas. All information about him is based on conjecture.
Intentionality:
The author states that he wrote the play with a didactic intent to warn against immorality. In the 15th century, it was common to blend worldly and immoral adventures with moral messages, as seen in the “Book of Good Love.” However, La Celestina is primarily a work of art, and its artistic values should be appreciated.
Internal Analysis of La Celestina
The Vision of the World:
Two recurring themes in La Celestina are love and death, which were central to the medieval literary landscape, dominated by a God-centered worldview. The idea of fate is prominent throughout the play, creating a sense of tragedy. While love and pleasure are not denied, they are ultimately portrayed as deceptive, with death being the only reality.
Conception of Love:
Love is the defining theme of the work. Many scholars see it as a parody of courtly love. At the beginning, Calisto breaks the rules of courtly love by skipping the waiting period and declaring his love for Melibea when they are alone.
- Love and Madness: At the time, love was considered a form of madness.
- Love and Sexuality: In La Celestina, love is physical. Celestina emphasizes not only pleasure but also the enjoyment of sex. Sexuality is shared: the servant Lucrecia witnesses Melibea and Calisto’s relations, and Celestina desires to watch Parmeno and Areusa.
Characters:
Each character possesses an individual background and personality defined by their words and interactions. Celestina has become one of the most famous characters in Spanish literature. However, it’s important to avoid reducing her to a mere symbol or literary trope. She is a complex, lively, and rich character. Initially, her motivations seem clear and base: greed, avarice, cunning, selfishness, and cynicism. However, we discover that these traits stem from a need for survival, as she lacks the protection of birth, occupation, or social function.
- Celestina: She symbolizes knowledge and is the only character with a past. Fernando de Rojas imbues her with comic traits, making her a contradictory character who amuses the audience while leading the tragedy.
- Calisto: Initially a comic character due to the parody of courtly love and love-induced madness, his feelings transform into passion after the first night of love.
- Melibea: Less nuanced than Calisto, she appears less frequently. Honor and virginity are her primary concerns. However, she is willing to surrender from the beginning and never regrets her actions.
Structure of La Celestina
Acts and Scenes:
Apart from the first act, which is attributed to a different author, the rest of the work, written by Rojas, seems incongruously divided into acts of varying lengths without a clear structural or narrative justification. Some scholars have attributed this division to a printer or proofreader. However, this hypothesis seems unlikely, as Rojas was responsible for the division. We now know that in the late 15th century, scholarly commentators advocated dividing Latin comedies into smaller units. Rojas likely adopted this proposal but struggled with organizing these divisions. The true structural unit of La Celestina is the scene, traditionally defined as the space between the exit and entry of a character or a change of location.
Language and Style:
A characteristic feature of La Celestina’s style is the fusion of popular and cultured elements. Both high and low characters utilize these two levels of language, adapting their speech to their interlocutors. Rojas also incorporates the humorous component found in the first act (pleasant witticisms). Much of the comic content is achieved through the use of irony in its various forms.