The death of Celestina : "othering" in changing times.

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2011-05-12T15:50:27Z

Authors

Stanislaw, Casey D.

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Abstract

La Celestina, as the definitive literary work of its period, portrays in microcosm the destructive forces at work within a Spanish society which was successful on the exterior but unraveling at its core as it transitioned from medieval to modern times. The definitive and pivotal moment within the tragicomedia is the murder of its central character, perpetrated by two servants seeking their share of the loot extorted from their master. On the surface the murder can be viewed as a moralistic tale of greed, but upon closer observation we find a depiction of larger social forces at work and that Celestina’s death is something wholly new and unexpected which not only portrays a society losing its moral compass but announces the end of the medieval period and the advent of the modern.

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