The unseemliness of Calisto's toothache
G West - Celestinesca, 1979 - JSTOR
G West
Celestinesca, 1979•JSTORher reputation, Melibea considers toothache to be a respectable substitute for the previously
unacceptable love-sickness which she has accurately diagnosed. As Shipley himself asserts
(p. 327), Celestina's excuse is a preposterous one and it is unlikely to prompt Melibea to
think that her actions were innocent and motivated by Christian charity. The even more
blatant request for the girdle, to which the girl readily accedes, points to the conclusion that
she understood and indeed wished to hear what Celestina had to say from the beginning …
unacceptable love-sickness which she has accurately diagnosed. As Shipley himself asserts
(p. 327), Celestina's excuse is a preposterous one and it is unlikely to prompt Melibea to
think that her actions were innocent and motivated by Christian charity. The even more
blatant request for the girdle, to which the girl readily accedes, points to the conclusion that
she understood and indeed wished to hear what Celestina had to say from the beginning …
her reputation, Melibea considers toothache to be a respectable substitute for the previously unacceptable love-sickness which she has accurately diagnosed. As Shipley himself asserts (p. 327), Celestina's excuse is a preposterous one and it is unlikely to prompt Melibea to think that her actions were innocent and motivated by Christian charity. The even more blatant request for the girdle, to which the girl readily accedes, points to the conclusion that she understood and indeed wished to hear what
Celestina had to say from the beginning and that her furia arose from the pressures of social conformity. 3 The only alternative to this can be that Melibea's abrupt change of mind was real and that it was produced by witchcraft. 4 Whichever of these interpretations is the correct one, it is clear that more needs to be said about the suggestive significance of the
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