El Cid, Mester de Clerecía, and Celestina: Key Spanish Literature
El Cid: A Hero’s Journey
Cid: This epic poem focuses on the final years of Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, El Cid Campeador. The primary source is a fourteenth-century manuscript missing its initial sheet and two interior pages. Another copy from 1207 identifies Per Abbat as the author. The poem portrays the Cid as a model of moderation, prudence, and balance.
The Story of Honor and Shame
The narrative revolves around two central themes: honor and dishonor. Falsely accused, El Cid is banished from Alfonso VI’s court. To regain his lost honor, he undertakes feats that bring him fame and wealth, ultimately leading to forgiveness and the restoration of his honor. Later, he suffers a personal affront when the Infants of Carrión abuse and abandon his daughters. Through strategic action, El Cid triumphs over the Infants, arranges marriages for his daughters to princes of Navarre and Aragon, and fully restores his honor.
Structure of the Poem
The poem is divided into three main sections:
- The Song of Exile (El Cantar del Destierro)
- The Song of the Weddings (El Cantar de las Bodas)
- The Song of the Shame of Corpes (El Cantar de la Afrenta de Corpes)
Mester de Clerecía: The Voice of the Clergy
Mester de Clerecía: Emerging in the thirteenth century, this literary movement encompasses works sharing common traits: narrative form, moral or didactic intent, and composition in cuaderna vía verse.
Berceo: A Key Figure
Berceo: Gonzalo de Berceo marks a rise in national consciousness of authorship within the mester de clerecía. His works address specific religious themes. Berceo’s texts align with the Church’s agenda to educate the lower clergy during a time of heretical challenges to Christianity. Berceo demonstrated extensive knowledge of the Bible and theological concepts.
Berceo’s Style
Berceo was a master of the Romance language, employing complex syntax and creating new words through derivation.
Direct Object (CD)
CD: The direct object, or complemento directo, is a noun, pronoun, or substantive clause that is directly and obligatorily required by a transitive verb. For example: “Pedro da money.” Syntactically, it complements the transitive verb and fulfills certain thematic roles.
The Book of Good Love (Libro de Buen Amor)
Good Love was written in the fourteenth century, during the decline of the mester de clerecía. It was composed in 1330 (Toledo manuscript) and 1343 (Salamanca manuscript). Though attributed to Juan Ruiz, this may be fictional, as no one by that name has been identified as the Archpriest of Hita.
Structure and Meaning
Estructura: The Book of Good Love is presented as a structured autobiography recounting a series of affairs, often involving a third-party intervention. The work’s meaning is ambiguous. In the prose preface, the author states that his intention is to promote “good love,” encouraging readers to avoid the depicted episodes. Some view it as didactic, while others see it as a vital expression of joy.
Don Juan Manuel and El Conde Lucanor
Don Juan Manuel: As the nephew of Alfonso X, Don Juan Manuel’s works reflect his devotion to the Dominican order and his ambition to increase his economic and social power. He advocated for a society divided into estates: the Church, nobility, warriors, and workers. He incorporated Dominican traditions into his work, El Conde Lucanor, which is structured in five parts:
- Part 1: 51 examples of a master’s teachings to his disciple.
- Parts 2, 3, and 4: Sentences extolling cultured prudence.
- Part 5: Conclusion of the work.
Celestina: Characters and Themes
Celestina:
Key Characters
- Calisto: Initially more comic than tragic, Calisto presents a parody of courtly love. His feeling evolves into a foolish and selfish passion.
- Melibea: The true tragic character.
- Celestina: Represents an attack on the established order. As a prostitute, she is intelligent and defeats her opponents through her words.
- Sempronio and Pármeno: Sempronio is the false servant inherited from Roman comedy, placing his master in the hands of the matchmaker. Pármeno is a complex character who evolves from fidelity to his master to becoming an unfair servant.
- Elicia and Areúsa: Prostitutes and friends of Celestina. Their affairs with Sempronio and Pármeno contrast with the romance of Melibea and her lover.
- Pleberio and Alisa: Melibea’s parents.