The Tragicomedy of Love and Fortune
Characters
Social Dynamics
From a social standpoint, two worlds coexist in tragicomedy: the aristocracy and the common people. Both worlds intermingle, and among them stands the figure of Celestina. Money, interest, and pleasure further entwine these two groups. The supremacy of material values over spiritual values reflects a society in crisis.
Psychological Depth
The characters possess a psychological depth not previously seen in literary works. Fernando de Rojas presents characters endowed with life and individual personalities, reflected in their language, actions, and thoughts.
The Aristocrats
- Calisto: (From Greek kallistos, “most beautiful”) Possibly of Jewish origin, Calisto is marked by loneliness and the absence of family ties. He lives only for his passion and self-interest. Initially, he appears as a devoted lover, but upon attaining his desire, he reveals his capricious and selfish nature. He remains largely static throughout the work.
- Melibea: (From Greek melibeia, “sweet voice”) Initially dominated by societal conventions, her initial refusal reflects the concept of honor. However, she lacks shame or moral restraint. When she succumbs to love, she becomes energetic and resolute, using lies to conceal her affair. Melibea undergoes a significant transformation, evolving from naiveté to confidence and commitment.
- Pleberio: Melibea’s father, a wealthy merchant, is concerned about his daughter’s upbringing. He is understanding, attentive, and affectionate towards Melibea. After Calisto’s death, he consoles his grieving daughter. His lamentations echo the medieval elegiac tradition. Before her suicide, Melibea offers words of comfort to her father, highlighting their intense bond.
- Alisa: Melibea’s mother is primarily concerned with pleasing and obeying her husband. Proud of her social standing, she relies on authoritarianism in raising Melibea, believing it sufficient for her daughter’s obedience.
Celestina
The central character, Celestina, unites the other characters and fulfills their desires. Known for her intelligence and diverse skills—perfumery, herbal remedies, and matchmaking—she meticulously plans her actions. Her greed, evident in her refusal to share profits, leads to her demise. Her sole moral concern is the effective execution of her work.
The Servants
The servants reflect the societal crisis. They are driven by ambition, seeking to climb the social ladder through service to their masters. They prioritize material gain acquired by any means necessary.
- Sempronius: Calisto’s servant is greedy and materialistic. He practices duplicity, offering Celestina’s services and becoming her accomplice. Like Celestina, he is motivated by greed.
- Parmeno: Initially a loyal servant, Parmeno attempts to warn Calisto about Celestina’s indignity. However, Celestina’s flattery, Areusa’s love, and Sempronius’s influence, combined with Calisto’s ingratitude, eventually corrupt him.
- Elicia and Areusa: Celestina’s apprentices. Elicia seeks to maximize her youth and beauty. Areusa’s relationship with Melibea reinforces her belief in the equality of all people, regardless of social status, asserting that virtue is not determined by bloodline.
- Lucrecia: Melibea’s maid initially warns her against Celestina but later helps conceal her mistress’s encounters with Calisto.
- Centurio: A hired thug employed by Sempronius for revenge. He embodies the grotesque, cowardly braggart, representing the Miles Gloriosus cliché.
Themes
Reflecting a Changing Society
La Celestina reflects the evolving society of the late fifteenth century and its new ideology, contrasting with the hierarchical and inflexible morality of the previous chivalric era.
Key Themes
- Love: The central theme, initially presented as a parody of courtly love, quickly gives way to carnal desire. Love affects all characters, directly (Calisto, Melibea, Parmeno, Areusa) and indirectly (Lucrecia, Pleberio, Alisa).
- Death: Intertwined with love, the unbridled passion and greed of the servants lead to the murders of Celestina, Parmeno, and Sempronius, culminating in the deaths of the lovers.
- Transience of Life: The work abounds with references to the fleeting nature of pleasure and life. A strong sense of pessimism pervades the narrative, finding its ultimate expression in Pleberio’s lament, which views death as an end, departing from the medieval concept of an afterlife.
Impersonal Constructions
Possible Impersonal Use:
The verb may appear in the third person plural, but the plural morpheme may not indicate true plurality. The referent (e.g., “he writes,” “he says”) can be a single person.
Grammaticalized Impersonal:
Certain expressions employ the impersonal structure through grammaticalization. These impersonal expressions typically use a third-person singular verb, often followed by a complement that could be interpreted as a direct object. However, this direct object cannot be transformed into the subject of a passive sentence. Common verbs in these constructions include: “be,” “do,” “happen,” “suffice,” “sound.”