Las dos celestinas de Las galas del difunto de Valle-Inclán

Abstract

Valle-Inclán’s Las galas del difunto includes two Celestina-like characters and it is therefore a perfect case to analyze how different Celestina-inspired characters have been created over the centuries by different authors. Basically, the authors select  some of Celestina's original features and combine them with common characteristics from their own times, and then adapt the results to the style and intentions of their texts. In Las galas del difunto, Valle-Inclán introduces a Celestina-like crone and adds ingredients from Galician witchcraft folklore. He also includes a Celestina-like owner of a brothel, who displays features from the world of prostitution of the time. The dividing of Celestina in two is facilitated by the esperpento and its proneness to fragment characters for satirical purposes.