Celestite: Unveiling Literary Depth and Renaissance Themes

Celestite: A Literary Work of Profound Depth and Complexity

Authorship

In the first edition, no title or signature appears. A new edition was later published, titled Comedy of Calisto and Melibea. Subsequent editions bore the title Tragicomedy of Calisto and Melibea.

Problems of the Genre

The work is written exclusively in dialogue, without narration or descriptions. Some consider it a dramatic piece destined for reading due to its extension and the complexity of the spatiotemporal aspects of the characters' psychology. Others consider it a narrative, like a novel in dialogue. Some think it is an "anti-novel" that tried to create a kind of sentimental work, similar to how Cervantes criticized books of chivalry. The delimitation of its genre is as important as its literary innovation.

The Love of Calisto and Melibea

One of the central themes of Celestina is the love between Calisto and Melibea. Their social condition does not prevent them from pursuing their love. Social reasons are not an aberration, nor are religious causes, including family belonging to a group of converts. The author does not justify it, but he does everything to make us think he intended to write and create his work as it is.

Language and Style

The language is both cultured and popular:

• Calisto, Melibea, and Pleberio utilize a cultured and bombastic language, with long and complex sentences. They resort to selected quotations from authors.
• Celestina and the servants use a more popular language, full of vividness, colloquial expressions, insults, jokes, and sayings. However, this does not prevent them from using a cultured and elegant language when it is in their interest.

Medieval and Renaissance Influences

Celestina stands between two worlds: the old medieval conception is depleted, and the new Renaissance vision is gaining force.

• Medieval aspects: The work reflects a moralistic purpose, with the death of lovers and servants as punishment for their actions.
• Renaissance aspects: The new attitude is related to Renaissance sensuality, pleasure-seeking, and individualism. The moralizing and blame of the characters' conduct are a concession to the times and ideas of medieval tradition. The spirit of the work is closer to the new century.