A Female Voice for Action in the Tragicomedia de Calisto y Melibea

Although most critical attention on laments for the dead in the Tragicomedia de Calisto y Melibea has focused on Pleberio’s long lament for Melibea in Auto XXI, Elicia’s lament for the loss of her lover, Sempronio, his companion, Pármeno, and her protector, Celestina, is highly significant for plot...

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Main Author: Connie L. Scarborough
Format: Article
Language:Spanish
Published: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México 2022-03-01
Series:Medievalia
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.revistas-filologicas.unam.mx/medievalia/index.php/mv/article/view/429
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author Connie L. Scarborough
author_facet Connie L. Scarborough
author_sort Connie L. Scarborough
collection DOAJ
description Although most critical attention on laments for the dead in the Tragicomedia de Calisto y Melibea has focused on Pleberio’s long lament for Melibea in Auto XXI, Elicia’s lament for the loss of her lover, Sempronio, his companion, Pármeno, and her protector, Celestina, is highly significant for plot development. Her lament is a decisive event that sets in motion a plan for revenge that will ultimately lead to the deaths of Calisto and Melibea. This article demonstrates how Elicia’s personal experience of loss brings about significant changes in her characterization. With the help of Areúsa, Elicia hatches a plan for vengeance on the aristocratic lovers that she despises. Building on Louise Haywood’s studies of female laments for the dead, it examines Elicia’s curse on Calisto and Melibea and shows how her words have real and tragic consequences. In Rojas’s world, a prostitute’s expression of grief is a force strong enough to topple the elites of society and fundamentally contribute to the tragedia embedded in his work’s hybrid title.
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spelling doaj-art-bea7e1ebd75a419aadf4640c81f62efe2025-08-20T03:43:52ZspaUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoMedievalia0188-66572448-82322022-03-0153210.19130/medievalia.2021.53.2.67984A Female Voice for Action in the Tragicomedia de Calisto y MelibeaConnie L. Scarborough0Texas Tech UniversityAlthough most critical attention on laments for the dead in the Tragicomedia de Calisto y Melibea has focused on Pleberio’s long lament for Melibea in Auto XXI, Elicia’s lament for the loss of her lover, Sempronio, his companion, Pármeno, and her protector, Celestina, is highly significant for plot development. Her lament is a decisive event that sets in motion a plan for revenge that will ultimately lead to the deaths of Calisto and Melibea. This article demonstrates how Elicia’s personal experience of loss brings about significant changes in her characterization. With the help of Areúsa, Elicia hatches a plan for vengeance on the aristocratic lovers that she despises. Building on Louise Haywood’s studies of female laments for the dead, it examines Elicia’s curse on Calisto and Melibea and shows how her words have real and tragic consequences. In Rojas’s world, a prostitute’s expression of grief is a force strong enough to topple the elites of society and fundamentally contribute to the tragedia embedded in his work’s hybrid title. https://www.revistas-filologicas.unam.mx/medievalia/index.php/mv/article/view/429lamentsEliciacharacterizationplot developmentSempronioPármeno
spellingShingle Connie L. Scarborough
A Female Voice for Action in the Tragicomedia de Calisto y Melibea
Medievalia
laments
Elicia
characterization
plot development
Sempronio
Pármeno
title A Female Voice for Action in the Tragicomedia de Calisto y Melibea
title_full A Female Voice for Action in the Tragicomedia de Calisto y Melibea
title_fullStr A Female Voice for Action in the Tragicomedia de Calisto y Melibea
title_full_unstemmed A Female Voice for Action in the Tragicomedia de Calisto y Melibea
title_short A Female Voice for Action in the Tragicomedia de Calisto y Melibea
title_sort female voice for action in the tragicomedia de calisto y melibea
topic laments
Elicia
characterization
plot development
Sempronio
Pármeno
url https://www.revistas-filologicas.unam.mx/medievalia/index.php/mv/article/view/429
work_keys_str_mv AT connielscarborough afemalevoiceforactioninthetragicomediadecalistoymelibea
AT connielscarborough femalevoiceforactioninthetragicomediadecalistoymelibea