Character Analysis and Themes in La Celestina

1. La Celestina

The character is dense, rich, alive, and well-realized. Her motivations are clear:

• Greed
• Selfishness
• Cynicism

The character is presented as a complex being. On one hand, she is an outcast from decent society, condemned for her crimes and dissembling, if not witchcraft. On the other hand, she plays an important social function, acting as a facilitator for the vices from which respectable society benefits. Her cunning and cynicism serve to defend her life; her cunning is her only lifeline, and her cynicism is the result of continuous interaction with a false and deceptive humanity. Celestina dominates the speech, as she is the character who symbolizes knowledge and critical distance. Her linguistic wealth is abundant, characterized by obscenity and obscene allusions.

2. Calisto

Calisto appears more often than Melibea, possesses a better-drawn character, and is equipped with more individualization. He is handsome, neatly dressed, a rake, and a spendthrift of his estate. We see samples of his weak will and his tendency to be dominated by passion. Calisto moves from the role of a lover to a cynical, weak man, a process that ends with his death.

3. Melibea

Melibea shows less nuance. Honor and virginity are her only apparent assets. Her few appearances in the play make her character evolve quickly, while still conserving the traditional female psychological traits: feigned ignorance until the last moment and reluctance.

4. The Servants

A) Pármeno and Sempronius

Pármeno expresses a moral sense and a willingness to help his master avoid falling into the networks of Celestina. However, when he falls into the arms of Areúsa, his character changes, becoming as cynical as his partner.

Sempronius reproduces the vices of his admired Celestina:

• Greed
• Cynicism
• Lack of moral sentiments

B) Areúsa and Elicia

They are the worthy successors of Celestina.

5. Parents

Alisa: She is unable to notice that her house has been compromised or that the love between Calisto and Melibea is causing her daughter to crumble physically and morally.

Pleberio: A traditional licensed type, he is later revealed as an affectionate and unwise person. Upon hearing from his daughter how she has defamed his honor and that of his family, he does not utter words of indignation or repression, but of affection.

Intentionality of the Work

1. Moral

The work orders false love. Behind this is a pervasive pessimism, which some critics attribute to the author's Jewish origin. There is a critique of the human condition, which is driven only by avarice.

2. Imitation of a Model

The work is an imitation of the Italian humanistic comedy of the 12th century, which in turn is based on the Latin model of Terentian comedy.