Celestina

Celestina has gone home and Calisto is waiting for something to happen in return for the gold he gave her. Sempronio reassures him. Calisto agrees to go to his chamber, but later wants Sempronio to prod Celestina. Sempronio worries for Calisto’s safety should he leave him alone in such an emotional state. Calisto calls him a simpleton, exclaiming that weeping eases the pain. Pármeno can stay with him while Sempronio goes to see Celestina. 

Pármeno enters, so Calisto sends Sempronio to Celestina. Pármeno suggests that perhaps Calisto’s money would be better spent on gifts for Melibea, “not in giving money to that old bawd I know; and what is even worse, in making yourself her captive” (43) by telling her his secrets. Calisto is offended but presses Pármeno to tell him more. Pármeno does not like that Calisto has been taken in by Celestina, a known scammer. But hearing Pármeno speak badly of Celestina only reinforces Calisto’s belief in her. Pármeno would rather endure being insulted than to stay quiet while Calisto loses everything. Angered, Calisto insists that if Pármeno had felt his pain, he would understand; he misses Sempronio, who would not say such things. Annoyed, Calisto orders Pármeno to bring him a horse so he can ride by Melibea’s house. Calisto mounts the horse and rides off, ordering that if Sempronio returns with Celestina, Pármeno should tell them to wait. Pármeno hopes that Celestina will not come back to swindle his master. 

Sempronio complains to a surprised Celestina about how long she has taken to act since Calisto is impatient. Celestina replies that impatience and misplaced anger is natural for a frustrated young lover. Sempronio worries that it won’t be safe for him to return and deal with Calisto’s anger, and that Calisto’s love for Melibea will fade if Celestina takes too long. Celestina can’t solve the Calisto’s problem too quickly if she wants him to believe she has earned her pay. All of her wealth comes from situations like this and she knows what she is doing. Sempronio asks Celestina what she said to Pármeno, and Celestina recounts their conversation. 

Celestina describes her extremely close relationship with Pármeno’s mother, Claudina, who taught Celestina everything she knows. They were like sisters, working together and sharing everything. If Claudina’s son had taken after his mother, they would have already “plucked [Calisto] clean” (51). Celestina is confident that with Calisto’s gold, she can convince Melibea to not only give in to Calisto, but to beg for Celestina’s help. Sempronio worries that pursuing Melibea might go very badly, since she is the only child of a “noble and stern” father and a “strict and jealous mother” (53). 

Celestina insults Sempronio, offended that someone so much younger and less experienced would question her methods. Sempronio persists—because he is inexperienced, he sees things that the expert Celestina does not. 

Elicia asks about Sempronio’s presence, but Celestina shushes her and sends her to fetch a list of ingredients. After Elicia retreats upstairs with Sempronio, Celestina performs a spell on some thread: The more Melibea looks at it, the more she will obey Celestina, eventually falling desperately in love with Calisto and begging for Celestina’s help. 

Celestina wonders if Sempronio was right to be concerned about her approaching Melibea’s house. If she is caught meddling, she will most likely be killed. But she decides that it would be worse to face Calisto’s wrath. Celestina arrives at the house of Melibea’s father, Pleberius, and is heartened to see Lucrecia, Pleberius’s servant and Elicia’s cousin, at the door. 

Lucrecia welcomes Celestina and asks why she is there—Celestina usually does not “move a step unless profit is assured” (58). Celestina claims that she is only selling thread. Alisa, Celestina’s mother, currently needs some thread so Lucrecia goes off to fetch her.

Lucrecia is surprised that Alisa does not recognize Celestina as someone who has been in trouble for witchcraft and other unsavory dealings. After Alisa invites Celestina in, Celestina praises Alisa and offers her thread. Alisa asks Melibea to entertain Celestina, since Alisa must visit her ill sister. 

When they are alone, Melibea asks Celestina why she complains about aging. Celestina tells her about her aches and pains, which poverty and hunger exacerbate. But, Celestina philosophizes, “the poor man sleeps better, for he does not have to guard what he won with hard work and would grieve to lose” (63). A rich man may have many children, but they are all praying for him to die so they can inherit his wealth. Celestina would not want to be young again—living once is enough.

Melibea knows Celestina, but would not have recognized her because Celestina has aged so much. She gives Celestina money, telling her to “go with God” (64) because Celestina seems like she needs to eat. Seemingly moved by her kindness, Celestina tells Melibea that she needs Melibea’s help to cure a man who has a desperate toothache. When Celestina tells Melibea that the man is Calisto, Melibea becomes angry and tells the older woman to leave. Celestina begs her to listen and then explains that Calisto only wants a prayer from Melibea and her girdle, “for it is widely known that it has touched all the relics in Rome and Jerusalem” (69). Melibea is skeptical, but Celestina convinces her that the request is genuine, and that Calisto has been wasting away pining after Melibea. Melibea finally agrees to give Celestina her girdle and tells her to come back the next day in secret for the prayer. Lucrecia worries that Celestina is tricking Melibea, but Celestina sways Lucrecia by offering to make her hair beautiful and give her powders to make her breath smell sweeter, to which Lucrecia admits, “I had greater need of all this than for food!” (74) 

Celestina hurries away through the streets, congratulating herself for manipulating Melibea. She meets Sempronio, who asks her what progress she has made. Celestina will tell him and Calisto together, and promises Sempronio will share in the profit. In an aside, Sempronio curses Celestina, certain that she is deceiving him. Still, the longer Calisto suffers, the more money they can bilk out of him. Celestina explains: “The wise man changes his course, the fool perseveres,” (79) and she insists she knows what she is doing. 

Pármeno tells Calisto that he sees Celestina and Sempronio approaching. Agitated, Calisto tells his servant to hurry and open the door. Outside, Celestina hears Calisto—his ranting means that their reward will be great.