Celestina

Celestina complains that although she has loved Pármeno like a son and always spoken well of him, he spoke ill of her in front of Calisto. Celestina hopes Pármeno will trust her in the future. She wants Pármeno and Sempronio to “be like brothers” (98) instead of fighting all the time. Pármeno finds it difficult to maintain a friendship with Sempronio because Sempronio is so “chaotic, disorderly” while Pármeno is “impatient” (99). Celestina reminds him of the value of friendship, and that his father’s fortune awaits. Celestina was so sad to see Pármeno as a servant in ragged clothes that she only asked for a cloak so the tailor could also make a coat for Pármeno.

Celestina suggests that Pármeno enjoy his youth and find a girl. Pármeno promises to no longer interfere and make unhelpful comments and expresses gratitude to his dead parents for leaving him with Celestina. Moved at the mention of Pármeno’s mother, Celestina describes her as so powerful that “devils themselves were afraid of her” (101). Pármeno asks Celestina about his mother, remembering a time she and Celestina were arrested. When Pármeno notes that at least his mother learned from her errors, Celestina angrily replies that his mother was arrested four more times—once for witchcraft—but continued to ply her trade. Celestina praises Pármeno’s mother for persevering even after false accusations and torture. 

Pármeno changes the subject and reminds Celestina that she promised to help him to win Areúsa, a woman he desperately loves. Celestina reassures him that she has not forgotten and that she will go and see what she can do since they are passing Areúsa’s door. 

Areúsa is chagrined to see Celestina at such a late hour, but stays polite. Celestina offers to help ease Areúsa’s “woman pain” (106), compliments Areúsa’s beauty, and adds that it is a waste for her to keep it to herself. When Celestina insinuates that sex would resolve Areúsa’s particular pain, Areúsa replies that the friend who takes care of her left yesterday for war. 

Celestina reminds Areúsa of Pármeno, attempting to convince her to accept his advances. Celestina asks Areúsa for permission to invite Pármeno up, but Areúsa worries her soldier friend will find out and kill her. Celestina argues with Areúsa and invites Pármeno to enter anyways. Areúsa exclaims that she is shy, but Celestina promises to help them both to not be shy around each other. Celestina chastises Areúsa and Pármeno for their shyness—Areúsa must let Pármeno spend the night since he is suffering out of love for her. Areúsa begs off, but Celestina orders Pármeno to “have some sport with her here on the bed!” (111) Areúsa pleads again, but Celestina berates her until she agrees to let Pármeno “do what he wants” (112) rather than offend Celestina. Celestina leaves them together.

Celestina knocks on her own door. Elicia scolds her for staying out all night and reminds her that she promised to help a betrothed girl hide the fact that she isn’t a virgin from her new husband. Celestina exclaims that Elicia should have helped the girl herself to learn how to earn a living, but Elicia replies that she would rather be content than rich since “the one who has everything dies as quickly as the one who is poor” (114). All Elicia needs is “a good night’s sleep with no fear” (115).

The next morning Pármeno wakes in Areúsa’s chamber. Realizing that it is late, Pármeno is distressed, knowing that he should have returned to Calisto. Areúsa’s menstrual cramps have not eased as Celestina promised, and she wants Pármeno to talk to her about her pain. Pármeno begs her forgiveness, invites her to a midday meal at Celestina’s house, and promises to return every day. Areúsa happily agrees and Pármeno leaves. Pármeno, overjoyed and grateful to Celestina, gives a monologue about wanting to tell someone his feelings. At the door to his house, Sempronio, admonishes Pármeno for failing to return. Ecstatic, Pármeno tells Sempronio that he is in love. Sempronio is annoyed that all three of them are now in love (Sempronio with Elicia, Pármeno with Areúsa, and Calisto with Melibea) and have lost their minds.

Sempronio accuses Pármeno of undermining their progress by contradicting Celestina. Pármeno warns Sempronio to stop treating him so badly, but Sempronio tells him that a true friend would have been helpful. Pármeno promises to fully support their scheme and that he slept with Areúsa, Elicia’s cousin. Sempronio notes that Pármeno is lucky to have Celestina’s favor, and is pleased that they will all go to Celestina’s for the midday meal. Sempronio embraces Pármeno as a brother, exclaiming, “Let us eat and be merry, and let our master fast for us all” (121). Calisto has not risen from his bed or even noticed that Pármeno never returned. 

Since Calisto is acting as if he has gone mad, Pármeno sends a lavish meal from Calisto’s house to Celestina’s. If Calisto notices the missing food, Pármeno will convince him that he already ate it himself. Sempronio agrees. Pármeno and Sempronio hear Calisto singing crazily about his heartache. Calisto is shocked to learn that it is morning and decides to go to church right away to pray for either Celestina to be successful or for his own death. Sempronio urges Calisto to save his strength and be patient. Calisto insists that he will go to mass and stay there until Sempronio sends word that Celestina has returned. As Calisto leaves, Pármeno curses him.

Sempronio and Pármeno walk toward Celestina’s house, planning to stop by the church and see if she is still there. Celestina only goes to church when she has no food, and when she prays, she is only plotting her schemes and deceptions. Celestina is already home, welcomes the two young men, and calls Elicia and Areúsa down. 

They eat and talk about wine. Sempronio asks Celestina about her progress with “that gracious and charming Melibea” (129). Angrily, Elicia scolds Sempronio for calling another woman charming and claims that she is just as beautiful. Areúsa asserts that Melibea only seems beautiful because she is rich and has the money to “apply a thousand filthy unguents to her face” (130) and that although she is a virgin, she has the body of a woman who has borne three children. Sempronio is doubtful—everyone in the city says otherwise. They argue and Celestina interrupts, telling Elicia to calm down. 

Areúsa asks her to come back to the table and Elicia gives in. Pármeno describes how Calisto went off to mass in a mad fury and won’t leave until Celestina has secured Melibea’s love. Pármeno is concerned that Calisto might not pay them quickly enough, but Celestina waves this worry away, commenting that love makes people lose control. Sempronio agrees, grateful that he has won the woman he loves, but Elicia, still angry, exclaims that she can easily find someone she loves more who treats her more respectfully. Celestina reassures Sempronio that Elicia is only saying these things because she loves him and is still jealous that he praised Melibea. 

Elicia hears her cousin Lucrecia knocking at the door. Celestina tells Elicia to welcome her in, noting that Lucrecia has not had the opportunity to enjoy her youth because she spends so much time serving Melibea’s family. Areúsa agrees, explaining in a long speech how girls who serve a woman are badly treated, and although the woman of the house should find husbands and pay dowries for her servant girls, she will always undermine these matches by speaking badly about the girls. Areúsa is glad to have remained independent in her own small home rather than serving in a lavish house. Celestina agrees, cutting off the conversation to invite Lucrecia in.

Lucrecia enters, commenting that Celestina has a lot of company. Celestina exclaims that this is a very small group compared to the parties she had when she was younger. Many girls have passed through her house, but they all honored her. Many members of the clergy “believed their charge was to maintain one of [her] girls” (138) and would bring endless supplies of food and wine. Celestina laments her decline from “such a privileged state” (138). Sempronio suggests that they stop talking about better times since that will only make them sad. Celestina asks Lucrecia why she is there. Lucrecia explains that she has been sent to retrieve the girdle and to ask Celestina to visit Melibea who “is exhausted from swoons and heartaches” (139). Celestina agrees to go.

Melibea is alone, angry at herself for pretending not to love Calisto and worried that he might fall for another woman. Melibea waits anxiously for Lucrecia to return, hoping that Celestina will come with her. After Lucrecia and Celestina arrive, Melibea tells Celestina that she is suddenly suffering from heartache and pining after Calisto. Melibea begs Celestina to help her and heal her heart at any cost. Lucrecia assumes Celestina has bewitched Melibea, while Celestina complains that there’s always someone trying to stand in her way: first Pármeno, and now Lucrecia. Celestina convinces Melibea to send Lucrecia out of the room. Celestina tells Melibea that the only thing that will cure her pain is something from Calisto’s house. Celestina insists that Calisto is a good person and that Melibea is in pain because she has fallen in love with him.

Distressed, Melibea faints, but when she feels better after waking up, Celestina worries that her spell is breaking. Melibea started feeling pain for Calisto’s toothache and praises Celestina for explaining why. Celestina promises to help the couple unite and tells Melibea that Calisto will see her at midnight. Melibea confesses to Lucrecia that she has fallen in love. Lucrecia tells Melibea that if the choice is to be in love or to die of heartbreak, it makes sense to choose love. Melibea’s mother Alisa sees Celestina leaving the house. Although Celestina makes up a story about delivering more thread, Alisa questions Melibea. Melibea claims that Celestina was selling face powders, and Alisa grows suspicious. Alisa warns Melibea not to welcome her again and Melibea agrees.