La Celestina ~ Fernando de Rojas

I recently discovered a centuries old playwright, Ferdinando de Rojas, who is credited for having written the first Spanish novel (in dialogue).  De Rojas began writing La Celestina while studying law at the University of Salamanca in Toledo, Spain.  The drama, his only novel, was published in 1499 after his graduation and became an instant success.  It was interesting to learn that his novel was written in play format but never staged during his lifetime.  La Celestina has been released in over 60 editions, has six sequels, and many translations. 

I read a copy of the play, translated by Lesley Byrd Simpson where she stated in its preface, “In every respect, The Celestina deserves a place alongside Cervantes' masterpiece, in originality, depth, handling of dialogue, and sure drawing of character. It is even superior to Don Quixote in its close-knit fabric and sustained tension.”   There is an abridged version you can find online as a free download, and a film version starring Penelope Cruz as Melibea.  I ‘read the film’ alongside the book . . . it is in Spanish of course, with English subtitles.   I thought the print and movie compared quiet accurately, but was caught off guard by the lusty scenes.  I think the old European language reads cleaner than it looks when acted out in film.

As the story goes, Melibea, daughter of a wealthy family, catches the eye of Calisto, a young nobleman.  Calisto is originally shunned by Melibea, so he enlists the help of Celestina in convincing Melibea to give him a chance.  Celestina runs a whorehouse and there are a few prostitutes as supporting characters.  Other characters are servants of Calisto who assist in the matchmaking.  There are spells, love potions, and midnight meetings that help bring these two lovers together.  But there is also a feeling of doom that brings the story to a tragic end.  Without giving too much detail, in order to prevent spoiling the reading experience for others, I’ll end this summary by saying that La Celestina is often compared to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

I loved how the written version was full of proverbs, folklore, and aphorisms.  Some quotes I noted were: The early bird may get the worm, but the one that’s got God on its side does even better, and There’s no road without potholes.   The story is certainly melodramatic with descriptions of emotional feelings.  Here Melibea describes lovesickness . . . “I’ve got a fatal wound in my heart that stops my speech.  It’s not like other sickness.  My heart will have to be removed to cure it, for it’s hidden in a most secret part.”

De Rojas studied to be a lawyer and practiced law for over three decades, but as a converted Jew he was often scrutinized by the Catholic Inquisition.  His father-in-law was arrested, for suspicion of practicing Judaism (a severe crime and often punishable by death) but as his attorney, de Rojas was able to have him acquitted.  During the course of his law career, de Rojas also served as Mayor for over 20 years in the city of Talavera de la Reina, a large municipality with an estimated population of 82,000.