La Casa De Bernarda Alba

Keeping in mind Lorca’s strong socialist leanings, what does this play demonstrate about the dangers of class inequality?

This play was sadly Lorca’s last. Two months after its completion, he was executed by right-wing fascist militia in Granada for his outspoken ties to both the political left and to Spain’s socially radical avant-garde. For the duration of the Spanish Civil War, Lorca’s works were forbidden from being openly discussed due to their perceived radical content. Does this play present a criticism of the status quo of the time? What case can be made that Lorca intended it to be a call for change, and what change (if any) might this play propose? Support your stance with examples from the text.

The subtitle for this play is “A drama about women in the villages of Spain.” Can a case be made that this play contains a feminist message? Why or why not?

Can Bernarda Alba be viewed as the tragic hero of this play? Can Adela? Why or why not?

Compare the opening scene of the play to the ending scene. What role does foreshadowing play in how Lorca chooses to depict both?

There are many cautionary tales told through the course of this play about women in the village who have either themselves gone against societal norms of sexual conduct, of who are somehow touched by scandals involving the same. Paca la Roseta, Adelaida, and Librada’s unmarried daughter are three such women mentioned, yet never seen onstage. Compare and contrast the stories of these three.

When La Poncia learns about Adela and Pepe’s affair in Act II, she makes a crucial choice to not tell Bernarda. Why does she make this choice, and what effect does it have on what follows? Could the tragic events of the end of the play have been prevented if La Poncia had revealed everything she knew when she knew it?

This play is full of imagery from the natural world, and yet, Lorca’s stage directions indicate all three Acts should be staged within various domestic interiors of the house. What role does nature play in how Lorca chooses to tell this story? Use specific examples from the text.