Spanish Literary Masterpieces: Manrique's Coplas and La Celestina's Evolution

Jorge Manrique: The Legacy of the Coplas

Jorge Manrique's masterpiece is a profound moral-didactic poem, composed following the death of his father, Master Don Rodrigo Manrique. The work serves to evoke and celebrate his father's figure and legacy.

Poetic Structure and Metrics

• Metric Used: The distinctive copla manriqueña (Manriquean stanza).
• Verse Count: Twelve verses structured in two broken-foot sextets (sextillas de pie quebrado).
• Syllables: Octosyllables, except for the 3rd and 6th lines of each sextet, which are quadrisyllables (4 syllables).
• Rhyme Scheme: Consistent rhyme and structure (abcabc).

Thematic Division of the Poem

The poem is divided into three distinct parts:

1. Doctrinal Exposition: Provides general philosophical reflections on life, time, and death.
2. Personal and Relevant Example: Uses examples from the past to illustrate the themes.
3. Praise of the Deceased: The final section celebrates the life of Don Rodrigo Manrique and recounts his encounter with death.

Key Themes and Literary Topoi

Manrique utilizes traditional literary topoi (topical or platitudes), but recreates them with a deeply personal human experience, resulting in a work that moves the reader through its authenticity and emotion. Key themes include:

• Contemptus Mundi: The world and its inherent vanity.
• Fortune: Depicted as a blind, random force triggering human tragedies.
• Tempus Fugit: Time lacks consistency and is fleeting.
• The Equalizing Power of Death: Death's democratic sense, affecting all equally.
• Ubi Sunt: The rhetorical question, "Where are they?" referring to the transience of earthly glories and figures.
• Fame: The enduring nature of name and reputation in memory after death.

Style and Language

Manrique's style marks a significant shift from his earlier work:

• He abandons the artificial language and complex concepts typical of his love poetry.
• The language is purified (language debugging), reflecting an almost Renaissance spirit.

The Evolution of La Celestina: From Comedy to Tragicomedy

The work known today as La Celestina underwent several significant transformations across its early editions, moving away from prior didactic or exemplary literature.

Key Editions and Structural Changes

1. First Edition (1499, Burgos)

• Title: Comedia de Calisto y Melibea.
• Authorship: Anonymous.
• Structure: 16 acts.
• Note: Did not include the preliminary verse acrostics.

2. Second Edition (1500, Toledo)

• Authorship: Acrostics were added, attributing the work to Fernando de Rojas.

3. Third Edition (1502)

• Title Change: Renamed Tragicomedia de Calisto y Melibea.
• Structure: Expanded to 21 acts (5 additional acts were included).
• Addition: The Tratado de Centurio was added, accommodated between Acts 14 and 15.

Later Editions (Late 16th Century)

• Common Title: The title was commonly changed simply to Celestina (21 acts).

Dialogue and Characterization

The language used in La Celestina is notably vivid, often incorporating obscene or suggestive dialogues, reflecting a departure from traditional literary norms.

Independent Characters vs. Archetypes

Unlike earlier didactic, exemplary, or religious works, which often featured types or archetypes (e.g., the strong, true gentleman) reflecting the ideas of a narrator, the characters in La Celestina possess their own lives. They are independent creatures of the author and are capable of evolution and change in their ideas, thoughts, and customs.

Characters like Calisto, Celestina, and Melibea are driven by complex motivations, including:

• Sexual desire and the use of alcohol to excite.
• Self-confidence and shifting values.
• Ferocity, coldness, cunning, skill, and the art of seduction and deceit.