La Celestina

Unit Topic: Literature

Spanish 2A/10th grade
Ms. Brianda
 Lesson Objectives and CA Standards

2.4 Initiate, participate in, and close a conversation; ask and answer questions.

2.5 Demonstrate understanding of the general meaning, key ideas, and some details in authentic texts.

2.6 Produce and present a simple written, oral, or signed (ASL) product in a culturally authentic way

Lesson Objectives:

1. Students should be able to identify the vocabulary by the end of the presentation.
2. Students should be able to identify La Celestina as the genre of drama.
3. Students should be able to participate in class discussions regarding the differences of genre.
 Quickwrite

1. In the next sixty seconds, write down everything you know about the different types of genres in literature.

1. What are the differences between each literature genre?

 THINK-PAIR-SHARE

Share with your group what you wrote on your ● There are 5 literary genres
quickwrite. Discuss whether you think there answers
are correct or not.

● La Celestina is focused on the drama genre

● This unit we will be focused on drama and

narrative genre
 What is Literature?

1. Literature is the art of expression through the letter where a written idea is developed narrating a plot.

1. Literature is divided into five literary genres which are:

● the lyric
● the narrative
● the epic
● the dramatic
● the didactic genres
 Epic Genre

● Legendary and historical facts are presented where it is called by fiction and the exploits of heroes.
Traditionally it is expressed in verse or better known as epic poems.

● Some examples are: The Iliad, The Odyssey, The Aeneid, The Song of Mine Cid.
 Gender Genre

● Known by the transmission of feeling and emotions. It is usually presented in verse, however, there are also
poems in prose.

● Some of the great masters of the lyric genre are: Garcilaso de la Vega, Adolfo Bécquer, Pablo Neruda, Cesar
Vallejo, Octavio Paz.
 Now you try..

With your partner, start a list of more examples of Epic and Gender Genre and what would you think it
meant if I didn't give you the definition at the beginning of the presentation.

vs.
 Dramatic Genre

It is a dialogue art, where its main representation is in front of the stage giving a live show in front of a direct audience.
They are usually dramatic, tragic and even funny.

Some examples that stand out are: Romeo and Julieta, La Celestina, Don Juan Tenorio and Fuenteovejuna.
 Narrative Genre

● Presented in prose, telling a fictional or real story. It is regularly presented in novels or short stories.

● Some examples are: Don Quixote de la Mancha, One Hundred Years of Solitude, Metamorphosis and
Circular Ruins.
 Didactic Genre

● It has the purpose of teaching and disseminating a message in an artistic way with a cultured and refined
language using literary and intellectual resources. It is presented in essays, fables, or speeches.

● Some examples are: The civilization of the spectacle and fables of Aesop.
 Now you try...

With your partner, first identify the genre based on the picture and give me some examples that would go within each
category.
 How does this tie into La Celestina?

"La Celestina", by Fernando Rojas, is the most significant and relevant dramatic work of the 15th century. It
reflects the crisis of medieval values ​and the materialism that characterized the Pre-Renaissance society.

It was in the mid-fifteenth century when the dramatic tradition began to emerge in Castilian, but were only
theatrical activities that took place in popular festivities or religious dates such as Corpus Christi or
Christmas. It is at the end of the 15th century when the theater is also established in the palaces to entertain
the court. Notable figures such as Gómez Manrique, characterized by a religious theater and Juan del Encina,
for a religious and also profane theater. However, the most striking work of all during this period of time was
"La Celestina", an anonymous work, but attributed to the author Fernando de Rojas.
 The Play

"La Celestina", in its twenty-one acts, presents the love relationship between Melibea and Callisto, with the interested
intervention of course of La Celestina, the old procuress.

Fernando de Rojas himself, declared that he composed the work from the first act, which he already found written.
Currently, it is accepted that "La Celestina" is the fruit of two authors: an unknown author who would have written the
first act, and the rest of the work that would be a composition by Fernando de Rojas.
 Characters

Celestina: It is the main character of the work and also the most elaborate. She is a vicious old woman, a drinker, a
former prostitute and a traitor. Two of the strongest passions that drive their behavior are selfishness and greed. She is
cunning, badly spoken and very manipulative.

Callisto: It is a character with grotesque features. Love is the center of his existence and he paints it as a noble and
disinterested feeling, but as the book progresses, it is shown that his actions contradict his words.

Melibea: It's a girl with a determined attitude. At first she is defensive about the love that Calisto shows for her, but
finally ends up falling in love. When she sees Callisto dead, she decides to commit suicide.

Secondary actors: Sempronio and Pármeno, Calisto's servants; Elicia and Areúsa, prostitutes controlled by Celestina.
Why was the play important for the drama
genre?
Fernando de Rojas, in the prologue of the work, claims to have written it with the intention of criticizing the
irresponsible and irrational acts of lovers, who as a result of their immorality, rush into misfortune.

Fernando de Rojas also writes "La Celestina" with an existential philosophical sense, since for him, life is a continuous
struggle that only causes pain and misfortune.
 Fragment of the play
SEMPRONIO: ¡Oh vieja avarienta, garganta muerta de sed por dinero! ¿No serás contenta con la tercia parte de lo ganado?

CELESTINA: ¿Qué tercia parte? ¡Vete con Dios de mi casa tú, y esotro no dé voces, no allegue la vecindad! No me hagáis salir
de seso, no queráis que salgan a plaza las cosas de Calisto y vuestras.

SEMPRONIO: ¡Da voces o gritos, que tú complirás lo que prometiste o complirás hoy tus días!

ELICIA: ¡Mete, por Dios, la espada! ¡Tenle, Pármeno, tenle! ¡No la mate ese desvariado!

CELESTINA: ¡Justicia, justicia, señores vecinos; justicia, que me matan en mi casa estos rufianes!

SEMPRONIO: ¿Rufianes o qué? Esperad, doña hechicera, que yo te haré ir al infierno con cartas.

CELESTINA: ¡Ay, que me ha muerto, ay, ay! ¡Confesión, confesión!

PÁRMENO: ¡Dale, dale; acábala, pues comenzaste! ¡Que nos sentirán! ¡Muera, muera; de los enemigos, los menos!
 Think

Quote 1 Quote 2 Quote 3

.

With a group of 4, go ahead and choose the type of genre you want to do more
research on. Each group will have to find five quotes and say why that is part of
that genre.
 Mini Project

Now that you know each type of literary genre, now we will focus on the drama genre for “La Celestina”

I want four groups of 5 students to act out a scene from the obra so I can see that you guys understand how
the genre is and if you guys understand the story.

On my website, you will find the whole obra and you can view it and get some ideas on how you would like
to act out a scene.