Originally appearing in Spain anonymously in 1499, La Celestina was later published in 1500 by a young law student named Fernando de Rojas in an expanded version. The work follows Celestina, a bawdy old madam who practices witchcraft and lives by her wits and who brings two young lovers together. The novel is known as one of the greatest works of Spanish literature, marking the end of the medieval period and the beginning of the Renaissance, leaving behind conventional medieval tropes for fully realized characters with complex psychologies. Immensely popular, La Celestina has spawned dozens of editions and sequels over the ages.

Summary

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Characters

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Literary Devices

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Quotes

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The Celestina: A Fifteenth-Century Spanish Novel in Dialogue

 
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