Public and Private Criminals in the Celestina: the Utility of Crime

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Paolo Tanganelli

Abstract

We examine Calisto's monologue in Act XVI of the Tragicomedia de Calisto y Melibea, the second version of Celestina. The young Calisto prepares a sort of virtual trial against the judge who had his servants, Pármeno and Sempronius, executed. Everything revolves around the rigid opposition between the public and private spheres: private trial (the one taking place in Calisto's head) vs. public trial; public delinquent (this is how the judge is apostrophised) vs. private delinquents (Pármeno and Sempronius); public law (the one regulating the behaviour of magistrates) vs. private law. The Digest, undoubtedly one of the main sources of this passage, seems to come to our rescue not only to better clarify these antitheses, but also to invite us to reflect again on a much discussed lesson, utilidad, on which Patrizia Botta and Francisco Rico, in particular, have discussed.

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How to Cite
Tanganelli, P. “Public and Private Criminals in the Celestina: The Utility of Crime”. Creneida. Journal of Hispanic Literatures, no. 12, Jan. 2025, pp. 109-1, doi:10.21071/calh.v1i12.17528.
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References

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