Celestina

Unhappy alone in her house, Elicia stops mourning because no one comes to see her, brings her money or gifts, and she misses the bustle of “knife fights or rowdy noises” (243). She should have listened to Areúsa’s suggestion that mourning was pointless, especially since Elicia is certain that Sempronio would not have mourned her. In fact, after killing Celestina, perhaps Sempronio would have killed Elicia. Areúsa’s friendship is worth much more than a relationship with any man. Elicia decides to end her mourning and make herself look beautiful after seeing if Sosia has spoken to Areúsa. 

Elicia knocks on Areúsa’s door. Areúsa is pleased to see that Elicia is no longer dressed in black and suggests that their lives will be even better without Celestina. Sosia knocks on the door. Elicia hides behind the curtains to watch Areúsa flatter and flirt to extract information. Areúsa welcomes Sosia in. Areúsa praises him and Sosia replies that Areúsa’s beauty and grace is well-known throughout the city. Areúsa claims that Sosia doesn’t need to compliment her because she is already in love with him, and besides, most compliments from men are deceitful. Areúsa has something to tell him, but only if he doesn’t offer empty flattery. Sosia agrees to answer any question she asks.

Sosia reminds Areúsa of Pármeno; she has loved him for a while and is worried that Calisto endanger him he did Pármeno and Sempronio. When Sosia accompanies Calisto on his nighttime visits to Melibea, he must be careful to be silent—she has heard that they have been very loud. Sosia promises that they are already being careful. Areúsa insists that Sosia must tell her when they will be going so she can know that those who are talking about Calisto’s visits are only gossiping. Sosia informs Areúsa that they will be there that night at midnight. Now that she has the information she needs,  Areúsa dismisses Sosia with insults him and sends him off. Elicia and Areúsa will go to see Centurio, where Elicia will pretend that she pleaded with Areúsa to visit him and mend their relationship.

Elicia and Areúsa enter Centurio’s house without knocking. Centurio assumes that Areúsa is there to apologize. Areúsa acts angry and insists that she wants to leave, but Elicia begs her to stay and promises Centurio, “By my soul I will have her embrace you, and I will be responsible for it” (220). Areúsa swears that she will never speak to Centurio again, but Centurio replies that he will do anything she asks, including killing or hurting someone. The only thing he cannot do is “give [her] money” (220) because Centurio finds it impossible to hold onto money. Elicia and Centurio urge Areúsa to accept his explanation. Areúsa pretends to reluctantly forgive Centurio but only if he agrees to exact revenge on Calisto on her behalf.

Centurio thinks that killing Calisto and his two servants with a sword is beneath him and suggests that he kill them by bludgeoning instead. Elicia worries that Centurio will only injure and not kill them, but Areúsa is satisfied. Alone, Centurio wonders how he can get out of the obligation to kill the three men. Worrying that he is putting himself in danger, Centurio considers feigning illness or pretending to fail. Finally, he decides to send Traso the Lame and his two men to “rattle their swords in an aggressive way” (224). That way, Centurio won’t have to hurt anyone.

Sosia, Tristán, and Calisto are on their way to Melibea’s house. Happily, Sosia tells Tristán that Areúsa declared her love for him, even though Sosia was dressed in rags and smelled like manure from working in the stables. Tristán replies that Areúsa is “a common whore” (226) who is certainly deceiving Sosia for some reason. Sosia has nothing to offer—no money or family name—and Areúsa is most likely jealous of Melibea and using Sosia for his proximity to Calisto and Melibea’s trysts. Sosia should “turn the tables and hand [her] back a trick of [his] own” (227). Sosia believes Tristán and agrees, but since they have arrived at Melibea’s garden, recommends that they discuss it at another time. 

Calisto prepares to climb the ladder as Lucrecia, inside, sings a song to Melibea about Melibea and Calisto’s love. In the penultimate verse, Melibea joins in. Melibea sings the last verse alone, wondering why Calisto is late and worrying that he might love someone else. Calisto enters, having listened to their singing, and swearing that no other woman could ever compare to Melibea. Melibea is thrilled to see him. Calisto begs her to keep singing, but Melibea only sang out of longing for him, explaining, “For with your arrival my longing disappeared, my voice lost its sweetness” (230). Meanwhile, Calisto is pulling at her clothing and Melibea tells him not to damage her gown. In an aside, Lucrecia admits that she is jealous of Melibea, disdains her mistress for being coy, and wishes that Calisto’s servants would pay attention to her. As Calisto and Melibea kiss, Sosia suddenly starts shouting outside.

Calisto needs to leave to help Sosia. Melibea holds him back since he is not fully armed, but Calisto insists. Tristán tells Calisto to stop, since there is no real threat. Calisto falls off of the ladder and dies. Melibea, distraught, begs Lucrecia to help her climb down to see Calisto’s body. Tristán weeps that Calisto died without confessing his sins and tells Sosia to help move Calisto’s body so no one will know that he was visiting Melibea. Lucrecia begs Melibea to pull herself together so her father doesn’t discover that she has been seeing Calisto. Melibea weeps, going back to her bedroom so she can pretend to be ill since she won’t be able to hide her grief.

Lucrecia tells Pleberio that he must go to his daughter at once because Melibea has suddenly become very ill and Lucrecia is worried that she might die. Pleberio begs Melibea to tell him what is wrong. Melibea weeps, wailing about pain in her heart. Pleberio suggests that Melibea only needs to get out of bed and breathe some fresh air, claiming, “To turn away from pleasure is the very worst you can do to allay your affliction” (237). Melibea wants to “go to the highest roof and from there enjoy the delightful view of the ships” (237) and that this will make her feel better. Pleberio agrees and Melibea, Pleberio, and Lucrecia go up to the tower. Melibea sends Pleberio to bring a stringed instrument so she can play it and ease her pain. Then, Melibea sends Lucrecia to tell her father to stand at the foot of the tower.

Melibea is alone in the tower and determined to die. She plans to tell Pleberio why she is killing herself when he appears at the foot of the tower. Melibea knows that her “dying may shorten [her] beloved parents’ days” (238), but lists several people from history and mythology who had done worse things to their parents. And although her parents don’t deserve to suffer, Melibea does not feel that she can go on without Calisto. 

Pleberio shouts up to Melibea from the ground. Melibea tells him that she is killing herself and he shouldn’t try to stop her. She explains everything: that Celestina’s interfered, that Calisto visited her frequently and took her virginity, and that Melibea cannot live without him. Melibea begs her father to bury her with Calisto. Melibea sees Pleberio crying and asks him to tell her mother everything she said. 

Sobbing, Pleberio returns to his bedroom where Alisa is waiting. Already worried about her daughter, Alisa fears that Pleberio’s crying means that Melibea is seriously ill. 

Pleberio tells his wife that Melibea is dead so that she can mourn with him and he does not have to weep alone. He has learned the reasons for her death from Melibea herself and Lucrecia has filled in the rest. It is cruel that he must live into to old age while bearing the loss of his daughter. He wonders why he acquired wealth, honor, and a lavish home with no one to inherit it. Pleberio used to believe that the world was “governed by some form of order” (244), but now life seems to be “a labyrinth of errors, a fearsome desert, a den of wild beasts, a game of men who dance the ring-around-the-rosy” (244). Pleberio references several parents in history and mythology whose children died, but his loss is especially terrible because Melibea killed herself for love instead of honor. Love, which is supposed to be beautiful, had the power to kill not only Melibea, but Calisto, Pármeno, Sempronio, and Celestina as well. Desperately, Pleberio wonders why Melibea would not let him stop her death, leaving him to mourn and suffer.