| The
plot of the late-medieval Spanish work Celestina (1499) centers
on the ill-fated love of Calisto and Melibea and the fascinating character
of their intermediary, Celestina. In this ground-breaking rereading
of the play, James F. Burke offers a new interpretation of the characters'
actions by analyzing medieval theories of perception that would have
influenced the composition of Celestina.
Drawing upon a variety of texts and thinkers—including the medieval
theories of Thomas Aquinas, the Renaissance treatises of Marsilio
Ficino, the classical philosophy of Aristotle, and the modern psychology
of Jacques Lacan—Burke relates ancient and medieval theories of
sensory functions to modern understandings. He demonstrates that
modern concepts of "the gaze" have their premodern analogy in the
idea of an all-encompassing sensory field, both visual and auditory,
that surrounded and enveloped each individual. Touching on medieval
theories of the "evil eye," the sonic sphere, and "the banquet of
the senses," Burke offers a new perspective on the use and manipulation
of sensory input by the characters of Celestina.
This book will be welcomed not only by students of Spanish literature
but also by those interested in new ways of approaching medieval
and Renaissance texts. |
|
|
