1. The opening scene opens in a garden because it seems to symbolism the beginning or growth of the story/plot. When I thought about the garden the first thing that came to mind was The Garden of Eden. It is the place where first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve lived after God created them. The garden is also used to explain the origin of sin and mankind’s wrongdoings. When Melibea curses Calisto it is because of the love he bears for her is forbidden: “Why do you scheme to bring ruin upon yourself by pursuing a virtuous women like me? Be gone, you selfish foo. I can’t bear to think a man felt it right in his heart to tell me of the delights of forbidden love” (1). Calisto praises Melibea’s beauty by basically calling her one of a kind. But to Melibea it seems that he is insincere with his actions and his words. Melibea thinks that he wants to sleep with her because she calls it “forbidden love” and this could be the reason why she questions what he schemes on a virtuous women like her she doesn’t deem his praise and the things that come out of his mouth as love, but instead some secret plot or plan. This is why she doesn’t seem to trust him or his words.
2. Calisto’s illness doesn’t seem like a mere illness, but it seems more like defeat. His charm didn’t work as he thought it would but he is more so upset because of the rejection from Melibea. When he is discussing Melibea he says he worships her and he treats her as if she is some type of God: “‘Aren’t you a Christian?’Me? No, I’m a Melibea. I worship Melibea, I believe in Melibea and I adore Melibea” (4). Melibea is his want/ desire, but he can’t have nor get her so he suffers from it. Calisto is so fixated on her that when he doesn’t get her he goes on a rage wanting to be locked away in the dark not wanting to talk. When they start to talk about women they talk about how women make men renege. Like women are the curse of men that make them commit sins. Like they are some type of devil or curse: Just think of the pea-brains under the flimsy fabrics holding those tresses in place, the giddiness under the ruffles, finery and long, regal dresses, the whims sluicing behind those painted temples. That’s why people say, “Instrument of the devil, sin of sins, ravagers of paradise.” Don’t you remember that bit in the prayers for the Festival of St. John where it says, “This is women, the ancient curse of man that cast Adam from the delights of paradise that sent the human race to hell” (7). They try to put all the blame of mankind on women and their devilment. It’s like they saying from day one women have been at the fault of men down falls because their cunning and beauty, a devil in makeup. They also talk about a woman’s feelings and how they are hard to fathom so it’s hard for a man to figure out what it is that they want or how they really feel.
2. Calisto’s illness doesn’t seem like a mere illness, but it seems more like defeat. His charm didn’t work as he thought it would but he is more so upset because of the rejection from Melibea. When he is discussing Melibea he says he worships her and he treats her as if she is some type of God: “‘Aren’t you a Christian?’Me? No, I’m a Melibea. I worship Melibea, I believe in Melibea and I adore Melibea” (4). Melibea is his want/ desire, but he can’t have nor get her so he suffers from it. Calisto is so fixated on her that when he doesn’t get her he goes on a rage wanting to be locked away in the dark not wanting to talk. When they start to talk about women they talk about how women make men renege. Like women are the curse of men that make them commit sins. Like they are some type of devil or curse: Just think of the pea-brains under the flimsy fabrics holding those tresses in place, the giddiness under the ruffles, finery and long, regal dresses, the whims sluicing behind those painted temples. That’s why people say, “Instrument of the devil, sin of sins, ravagers of paradise.” Don’t you remember that bit in the prayers for the Festival of St. John where it says, “This is women, the ancient curse of man that cast Adam from the delights of paradise that sent the human race to hell” (7). They try to put all the blame of mankind on women and their devilment. It’s like they saying from day one women have been at the fault of men down falls because their cunning and beauty, a devil in makeup. They also talk about a woman’s feelings and how they are hard to fathom so it’s hard for a man to figure out what it is that they want or how they really feel.
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