The first European novel, exquisitely translated by Margaret Sayers Peden A timeless story of love, morality, and tragedy, Fernando de Rojas’s Celestina is a classic of Spanish literature. Second only to DonQuixote in its cultural importance, Rojas’s dramatic dialogue presents the elaborate tale of a star-crossed courtship between the young nobleman Calisto and the beautiful maiden Melibea in fifteenth-century Spain. Their unforgettable saga plays out in vibrant exchanges, presented here in a brilliant new translation by award-winning translator Margaret Sayers Peden. After a chance encounter with Melibea entrances Calisto, he enlists the services of Celestina, an aged prostitute, madam, and procuress, to arrange another meeting. She promptly seizes control of the affair, guiding it through a series of mishaps before it meets its tragic end. At times a comic character and at others a self-assertive promoter of women’s sexual license, Celestina is an inimitable personality with a surprisingly modern consciousness, certain to be relished by a new generation of readers.
The Celestina is considered by scholars to be the first European novel. Written in fifteenth-century Spain, this masterpiece is remarkable for its originality, depth, handling of dialogue, and drawing of character. The novel's focus is the character of Celestina, who dominates the scene. An old bawd brimming with salty wisdom derived from a vigorous and sinful life, she is one of the great creations in all of literature and holds a secure place beside her two compatriots, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. This Spanish classic, a forebear of Cervantes, was originally published anonymously in 1499; later editions bear the name of Fernando de Rojas as author.
As Greek tragedy says a Spanish writer was composed from the crumbs that fell from Homer's table so the Spanish drama owed its earliest forms to La Celestina (1499). ÞFernando de Rojas' tragi-comedy ä which has also been called a novel in dialogue ä runs to about three hundred pages in the James Mabbe translation here adapted to the stage by Eric Bentley in a five-act 93-page version.ÞThe central and pervasive situation is a simple one: a dirty old woman is helping a courtly young gentleman to seduce a girl. The wonder of the thing lies in the art with which Fernando do Rojas derives from such commonplace materials a towering tragedy ä or rather tragi-comedy.
"Celestina" is a late 15th century work by Fernando de Rojas that is considered one of the greatest works of Spanish literature, one which marks the transition from the late medieval period and the beginning of the literary renaissance in Spain. The story is concerned with the love affair of Calisto and Melibea. Upon meeting Melibea, Calisto falls madly in love with her. However at first she rejects his advances. Calisto's servant Sempronio introduces him to Celestina, a local procuress at a brothel, whom he says can help him win the love of Melibea. Unfortunately Sempronio and Celestina are primarily interested in just getting as much money out of Calisto as possible; a deception which will have tragic consequences for the two would be lovers. Described as a Spanish "Romeo and Juliet", Rojas' "Celestina" is a highly regarded work of Spanish literature that would be deeply influential on the development of the picaresque novel as well as the work of future Spanish literary figures like Miguel de Cervantes. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and follows the translation of James Mabbe with an introduction by James Fitzmaurice-Kelly.
"La Celestina", de Fernando de Rojas. Fernando de Rojas fue un dramaturgo espa ol, autor de La Celestina, considerada una de las obras cumbre de la historia de la literatura espa ola (1470-1541)
La Celestina, figura central de la tragicomedia de Calixto y Melibea, se edita en la frontera de los siglos XV y XVI. El exito de la obra fue inmenso, dado el numero de ediciones y traducciones que de ella se hicieron, asi como sus repercusion en otras obras posteriores. La Celestina se presenta con una estructura tragica, dramatica, donde el amor como pasion irrefrenable es el motor que pone en marcha la obra. Su composicion se remonta a los ultimos anos del siglo XV, durante el reinado de los Reyes Catolicos, si bien su extraordinario exito editorial comienza en el siglo XVI y continua, con altibajos, hasta su prohibicion en 1792. Por su argumento amoroso, su finalidad didactica, la abundancia de citas de autoridad, la eleccion de sus personajes, su forma dialogada y su mas que probable vinculacion a un entorno universitario, se ha considerado a la Celestina un ejemplo sui generis de comedia humanistica, aunque hay quien prefiere considerarla como un hibrido entre novela y drama. Su influencia en ambos generos es muy notable, hasta el punto de que es posible hablar del subgenero de la celestinesca, en el que se incluyen tanto obras desarrolladas directamente a partir de su trama, sus personajes o sus temas, como ambientes o personajes celestinescos en comedias y novelas que, en principio, nada tienen que ver con la Celestina.
Drama Classics: The World's Great Plays at a Great Little Price Celestina, madam of the local brothel, is commissioned by a nobleman to help him seduce a beautiful young woman. Using all her wiles and with the help of two greedy servants she goes about weaving her spells... with tragic results. Fernando de Rojas' play Celestina has been a pivotal work of European culture since 1499, when it was first performed, and the character of the ever resourceful procuress Celestina has inspired artists from Goya to Picasso. This version of Celestina, translated by John Clifford, was first performed at the King's Theatre, Edinburgh, in August 2004, as part of the Edinburgh International Festival. This edition of the play, in the Nick Hern Books Drama Classics series, includes an introduction by John Clifford.
En un mundo marcado por la pasi n, la ambici n y la tragedia, La Celestina nos lleva a trav s de una intrincada red de amor prohibido, enga o y fatalidad. Calisto, un joven noble, queda cautivado por la belleza de Melibea, una joven de esp ritu fuerte. Desesperado por conquistarla, recurre a Celestina, una astuta y manipuladora alcahueta, para ganar su afecto.Pero en esta historia, donde el deseo choca con la codicia y el destino, nadie est a salvo de las consecuencias de sus acciones. Secretos, traiciones y un amor condenado culminan en un desenlace tan tr gico como inolvidable.Considerada una de las obras m s emblem ticas de la literatura espa ola, La Celestina explora las profundidades de la naturaleza humana y el costo de nuestras pasiones m s oscuras.
En un mundo marcado por la pasi n, la ambici n y la tragedia, La Celestina nos lleva a trav s de una intrincada red de amor prohibido, enga o y fatalidad. Calisto, un joven noble, queda cautivado por la belleza de Melibea, una joven de esp ritu fuerte. Desesperado por conquistarla, recurre a Celestina, una astuta y manipuladora alcahueta, para ganar su afecto.Pero en esta historia, donde el deseo choca con la codicia y el destino, nadie est a salvo de las consecuencias de sus acciones. Secretos, traiciones y un amor condenado culminan en un desenlace tan tr gico como inolvidable.Considerada una de las obras m s emblem ticas de la literatura espa ola, La Celestina explora las profundidades de la naturaleza humana y el costo de nuestras pasiones m s oscuras.
1400-luvun lopulla ilmestynyt Celestina eli Caliston ja Melibean tragikomedia kuuluu espanjankielisen kirjallisuuden suurimpiin klassikoihin. Julkisuutta kaihtaneen lainoppineen Fernando de Rojasin (k. 1541) dialogimuotoon kirjoitettu romaani oli suuri menestys koko renessanssiajan Euroopassa.Rakastuneen Caliston ja ylenkatseellisen Melibean tarinan päähenkilöksi kohoaa Caliston palkkaama juonikas parittajaeukko Celestina. Caliston palvelijoiden kanssa hän kääntää asiat päälaelleen niin ylhäisaatelisten palatseissa kuin katutyttöjen tölleissäkin ja sinetöi monet kohtalot. Ihmiselämän huvittavia ja synkeimpiä puolia kuvaava tragikomedia maalaa laajan panoraaman aikansa yhteiskunnasta, ja sen runsaan henkilögallerian kielellinen ilotulitus vaihtelee sujuvasti ylätyylisestä lemmekkyydestä alamaailman katuslangiin. Omalaatuinen, vailla suoranaista edeltäjää syntynyt teos on vanginnut lukijoiden mielenkiinnon vuosisadasta toiseen ja jättänyt lähtemättömän jälkensä myöhempään kirjallisuuteen.Arto Rintala on aiemmin suomentanut Cervantesin Opettavaisia kertomuksia ja Välinäytöksiä, tuntemattoman kirjailijan veijariromaanin Lazarillo de Tormes sekä Juan Manuelin tarinakokoelman Kreivi Lucanor ja Patronio.
