Celestina- Day 2

1. At the end of act three it is easy to see Celestina's uncertainty about how Melibea will respond to her ministrations. First, she finds it necessary to create a talisman of sorts to use on Melibea. This is in the form of the thread that she anoints with oil and the prayer she says to Pluto. This becomes even more obvious with the final words she says; "or so I think." I think that Melibea has good cause to be hesitant about the success of her plan. She certainly realizes that the "love" between Calisto and Melibea is merely lust. She would also realize how capricious lust can be. This can be seen in the very essence of the story, when Calisto wanders into Melibea's garden and suddenly falls in love with her.

2. Throughout the novel, Celestina's fame seems to proceed her wherever she goes. Interestingly enough, the only person who doesn't know who she is is Calisto, and as a result he is the only person that genuinely trusts her. Celestina's reputation is one that can be a double edged sword. In the case of Lucretia, it helped her cause, because Lucretia is related to one of Celestina's prostitutes. In the case of Melibea, Celestina's reputation, compounded with the discovery of her true goal, almost caused Celestina's demise. I find that this says a lot about individual interpretation. First, due their different backgrounds, Lucretia and Melibea both interpret Celestina's reputation differently. Lucretia is more favorably inclined to Celestina because of her upraising. As a cousin of the one prostitute, it can be assumed that Lucretia is the female counterpart to Parmeno, at least in the sense that she most likely came from the underbelly of the city and is striving to better herself. Melibea's response was far from favorable though. I believe this is due to the fact that Melibea was raised in a different world, and sees no place for Celestina in it.