Celestina is a literary work full of questions. That’s why it’s so interesting, especially when it comes to your characters, everyone has a specific psychological characterization that makes them play a fundamental role in the play.
Focusing on the characters fernando de Rojas has created so carefully is a traditional way to approach this literary work considered a tragicomedy.
- Then let’s see how this Spanish writer psychologically characterized all the characters featured in this 15th-century book.
In A Celestina we can find 13 characters that play an important role in the development of the work, although they are the lovers Melibea and Calisto, central axis of all this tragicomedy, the rest of the figures that appear are also important.
Celestina is an old woman known for having managed, thanks to certain tricks, for two people to stay together, however, despite the help she is helping callisto to make Melibea happy with him, Celestina is a woman who is characterized by:
Melibea is one of the protagonists of A Celestina, at first we see how she is not attracted to Calisto, this clear rejection is manifested and observed through remarkable arrogance and height.
However, after Callisto’s help from Celestina, the change he presents is sudden and surprising.
This ranges from rejection to absolute capitation, in which she is the one who is proactive in the secret encounter with Calisto, so she ends up falling into the extremism of romantic love, which leads her to a pitiful ending.
Calisto is attached to Melibea, but what motivates him is not love, but the desire to get what he wants, makes him a selfish person who does everything he can to achieve what he aspires to, whatever the consequences.
It makes him look insecure and immature. We are talking about a young dreamer who does not deal very well with the frustration of his expectations. When they are not satisfied, he is in crisis by the resistance imposed, in this case, by Melibea.
Callisto has an antihero role, because he dies absurdly when he sets foot in the void as he goes down the stairs.
Parmeno is Callisto’s servant; he is a faithful character who strives to take care of his master. It warns you of the danger of trusting Celestina, yet this loyalty?because Calisto humiliates him and doesn’t believe what he says.
Sempronio is another servant of Calisto who is portrayed as a liar with false intentions, unlike Permeno, from the beginning takes advantage of his?Sir? Try to earn as much money as possible from you, always maintaining the appearance of an honest person. .
Double and Tristan are faithful servants of Callisto. Double is portrayed as a person who blindly falls in love with Aresa, who manipulates him to obtain information about his owner.
On the other hand, Tristan presents himself as a very attached servant who suffers greatly from Callisto’s death. Tristan and Soshia are friends of Callisto, more than servants. A pure friendship, with no hidden intentions.
Lucrécia is a servant of Melibea and a faithful confidant, both of them tell everything that happens to them, especially in love, feeling so accompanied by their misfortunes and misfortunes. Thanks to Lucrecia, Calisto and Melibea can see each other every night.
Lucretia was a prostitute, but decided to change her life and devote herself to work, however, her character is the archetype of an envious person. She is jealous of her ex-accompaniers and also of Melibea’s romantic encounters with Calisto.
She is a prostitute of Celestina who has an impulsive, contradictory and carefree character, this character lives in the present. However, when her guardian dies, she seeks revenge because she is lonely and finished.
Aresa is another of Celestina’s prostitutes, unlike Elia this character is characterized by being independent, free and full of resentment, it is very similar to Celestina, because she knows how to manipulate others, she does so with her partner Centurio.
Centurius lives at the expense of prostitutes, what is now called “gigolo”. He is characterized by being a pimp, evil, a little lansy and lying; he usually uses prostitutes to get what he wants.
Although he presents himself as a person who imposes himself with his presence for his bad character and size, in reality this courage is just a facade, he is basically a cowardly character.
Plebério is Melibea’s father and presents himself as a very old man, always very busy. When Melibea dies, her life loses all meaning. He’s a very worried character about his daughter, especially because he wants her to get married.
Alisa is the mother of Melibea. Il a supporting role because she is in the shadow of the husband. He’s a very naive character who doesn’t distrust anyone. Actually, let Celestina into your house.
The psychological characterization of the characters in this work by Fernando de Rojas is very diverse, however, this is what allows us to clearly perceive an evolution.
Everyone’s changing. Melibea goes from rejection to absolute love for Calisto, Elia goes from total indifference to seeking revenge for Celestina’s death. Everyone plays an important and fundamental role.
Have you ever thought about how Fernando de Rojas psychologically characterized his characters?