La Celestina: Analysis of Characters, Themes and Structure

Biography of Fernando de Rojas

Born in Montalbán (Toledo) in 1476 to a family of Jewish converts, Fernando de Rojas was a lawyer, attorney, and mayor, passing away in 1540.

Publication History

The first version of the work, titled Comedia de Calisto y Melibea, appeared in 1499 with 16 acts. A second version, the Tragicomedia de Calisto y Melibea, was published in 1502, expanding the work to 21 acts. It remains a foundational text of Spanish literature.

Genre and Literary Style

The play is dominated by dialogue and action. While it contains elements of drama, its extensive length and structure suggest it was intended to be read rather than performed, leading many to classify it as a dialogued novel.

Plot Summary

Calisto meets Melibea by chance, but she initially rejects him. His servant, Sempronio, suggests seeking the help of Celestina, a cunning matchmaker. She succeeds in manipulating Melibea into falling in love with Calisto. However, greed leads to tragedy: Celestina is murdered by Calisto's servants over a medallion, and the servants are subsequently executed. Calisto dies after falling from a ladder during a night visit to Melibea, who, in her despair, throws herself from a tower. The work concludes with the lament of her father, Pleberio.

Structure and Language

The 21 acts are divided into the initial approach, the development of conflicts, and the final tragic resolution. The language is remarkably rich, blending cultured, academic discourse with popular idioms, proverbs, and colloquialisms. The text utilizes various rhetorical devices, including monologues, character-specific dialogue, and asides to the reader.

Character Analysis

The work depicts two distinct social worlds: the nobility and the servants. Key characters include:

• Calisto: A wealthy, capricious, and egoistic nobleman driven by desire.
• Melibea: A young woman who defies her parents to pursue her love.
• Pleberio and Alisa: Melibea's parents, representing the established social order.
• Celestina: The central figure, an intelligent, manipulative, and greedy bawd who orchestrates the plot.
• Sempronio and Pármeno: Calisto's servants, whose greed leads to their downfall.
• Elicia and Areúsa: Celestina's pupils, characterized by their beauty and envy.
• Lucrecia: Melibea's loyal maid.
• Tristán and Sosia: Calisto's servants.

Major Themes

• Love: Presented as an overwhelming, destructive force.
• Death: Inextricably linked to passion and greed; the inevitable end of pleasure.
• Greed: The catalyst for the servants' betrayal and Celestina's murder.
• Transience: The fleeting nature of life and pleasure, marking a shift away from medieval perspectives.