La Celestina or The tragicomedy of Calixto and Melibea and the old prostitute Celestina is a Spanish book written in 1499 by the converse jewish writer Fernando de Rojas.
The plot starts with Calixto being rejected by Melibea. Calixto then turns into an Emo Teen, until his servant, Sempronio, presents him to The Matchmaker Celestina, who offers him Melibea's love. She uses her knowledge of human behaviour and sorcery to accomplish her goal. Soon after getting her payment from Calixto, Celestina is murdered by Calixto's servants, Sempronio and Parmeno, who wanted their part of the payment but didn't get it. Sempronio and Parmeno are caught by the local justice and executed on the spot.
Once together, Calixto and Melibea enjoy their love secretly without knowing that there's a plot against them by two prostitutes, Elicia and Areusa, who blame them for the death of Sempronio and Parmeno. Two thugs, Centurio and Traso, are hired by Elicia and Areusa to murder Calixto during one of his nocturne dates with Melibea, but what actually causes Calixto's death is slipping off a ladder and falling head first to the ground when he hurries to help his servants. After discovering his death, Melibea commits suicide. The work ends with Melibea's father, Pleberio, crying for the death of his daughter.
The book is considered one of the best novels ever written in the Spanish language, and it's a staple in any Spanish literature class. It was also a big hit, specially the character of Celestina, who is considered one of the best characters ever created in Spanish literature, and her name is nowadays an official synonymous of "matchmaker" in the Spanish language. As in, her name literally appears in the dictionary.
This book contains examples of:
- All Women Are Prudes: Deconstructed trope. Melibea refuses at first to have sex with Calixto, but she's actually dying for it.
- Ambiguously Jewish: It's often discussed that the huge difference Calixto mentions between him and Melibea might be that he's Jewish while Melibea is Catholic.
- Courtly Love: Heavily Subverted, as Calixto is not in love, but just infatuated about Melibea
- Death by Materialism: Celestina is murdered by Sempronio and Parmeno after refusing to share his part of Calixto's reward with them. Just after that the two servants are killed by justice.
- Dirty Coward: Parmeno and Sempronio abandon Calixto when they hear a noise.
- Driven to Suicide: After hearing that Calistro died from falling off the wall, Melibea decides to jump from the tower to join him in death.
- Downer Ending: Just about everyone dies and Melibea's father is left to look over the disaster.
- Females Are More Innocent: Played straight with Melibea. Inverted with Celestina and the prostitutes, Elicia y Areusa.
- Ironic Name: Celestina means 'heavenlike'. She makes pacts with the Devil.
- It's Personal: Calixto indirectly causes the death of the prostitutes' lovers, which causes them to seek revenge.
- Lineage Comes from the Father: This is the case for Melibea's father.
- Magical Incantation: Celestina delivers a pretty good one when she summons {Main/Satan Pluto}.
- Manipulative Bitch: Celestina tricks every one to do what she wants them to do, making Melibea fall in love with Calixto, fooling Parmeno to help her and getting money from Calixto.
- The Matchmaker: Celestina is the Trope Codifier for this trope, and also the Trope Namer in Spanish (as in, "Celestina" literally became an actual dictionary synonym for "matchmaker" in Spanish).
- May Be Magic May Be Mundane: It's left to discuss whether Celestina's conjuration works on Melibea or it's just her capacity to get her way through talking.
- Never a Self-Made Woman: Averted. Celestina reached the spot she now occupies in life using her skills.
- Purple Prose: A XVth century illiterate prostitute speaking like a poet?
- Secondary Character Title: Celestina is not the main character, but she's the Chessmaster who causes the start of everything.
