These questions serve as a guide to the reading – you may
answer some or none, but I would like you to have a short, coherent argument
about “Celestina” that speaks to the themes of love and desire about which we
have been discussing in class. Also try to bring in the supplemental reading
into your discussion.
1. Analyze the opening scene in Melibea’s garden. Why a
garden? What might a garden signify? How do you interpret the words of Calisto
and Melibea? Why does Melibea react in this manner? Can we read these words as
genuine?
2. Discuss Calisto and Sempronio’s conversation in Act I. How do you interpret Calisto’s illness? His discussion about Melibea? The discussion about women? What occurs here? Use quotes and specific examples for the text to support your answer.
3. What are our initial impressions of Celestina? What type of character is this? What does she say which influences your analysis? What about her later exchanges with Parmeno? (And this back history with Parmeno’s mother – what do you think happens here?)
4. Analyze Parmeno’s long speeches concerning Celestina. What is her history, profession, etc.? What do you think she represents within the text? How does the entire community view this woman? Why? Use specific examples from the text to support your answer.
5. Analyze the speech of these characters (you can point to specific examples to formulate your answer). What type of speech is this? Why?
2. Discuss Calisto and Sempronio’s conversation in Act I. How do you interpret Calisto’s illness? His discussion about Melibea? The discussion about women? What occurs here? Use quotes and specific examples for the text to support your answer.
3. What are our initial impressions of Celestina? What type of character is this? What does she say which influences your analysis? What about her later exchanges with Parmeno? (And this back history with Parmeno’s mother – what do you think happens here?)
4. Analyze Parmeno’s long speeches concerning Celestina. What is her history, profession, etc.? What do you think she represents within the text? How does the entire community view this woman? Why? Use specific examples from the text to support your answer.
5. Analyze the speech of these characters (you can point to specific examples to formulate your answer). What type of speech is this? Why?
6. We will talk more in class about Areusa and her illness
in Act VII, but how do you interpret Celestina's actions with Areusa (maybe
even apart from her illness)? What might these actions have to say about
Celestina? What insight do we gain about her character here?
7. How do you explain Areusa and Elicia's comments about Melibea in Act IX? Is this mere jealousy or is something more going on here? (Or, you can comment about this entire scene within Celestina's house -- what does this scene reveal about this house and what occurs here?)
8. Analyze the scene between Melibea and Celestina in Act X. What do you think Melibea experiences here? Why? Try to focus on the language she uses and the imagery to which she makes reference. How, for example, do you interpret Melibea's comment that her "breast is full of serpents"?
7. How do you explain Areusa and Elicia's comments about Melibea in Act IX? Is this mere jealousy or is something more going on here? (Or, you can comment about this entire scene within Celestina's house -- what does this scene reveal about this house and what occurs here?)
8. Analyze the scene between Melibea and Celestina in Act X. What do you think Melibea experiences here? Why? Try to focus on the language she uses and the imagery to which she makes reference. How, for example, do you interpret Melibea's comment that her "breast is full of serpents"?
No comments:
Post a Comment