Key quotes Flashcards
“Fortunately I’m soon going to leave this hell.”
Angustias expresses her relief that she will be able to get out of the prison of Bernarda’s house by marrying Pepe
“Afortunadamente pronto voy a salir de este inferno.” - Angustias
“This is how you have to talk in this damn town without a river, a town of wells, where you always drink the water in fear that it is poisoned.”
There is always the fear that somebody could sabotage you; no one is to be trusted in the village
“Es así como se tiene que hablar en este maldito pueblo sin río, pueblo de pozos, donde siempre se bebe el agua con el miedo de que esté envenenada” - Bernarda, Act 1
“The poor are like animals. It looks as if they were made of other substances.”
Due to social class and status, Bernarda looks down on poor people and believes they are less human than her
“Los pobres son como animales. Parece como si estuvieran hechos de otras sustancias.” - Bernarda, Act 1
“My blood does not meet with that of the Humanes while I live! His father was a farm labourer.”
Bernarda expresses how she will not mix with people below her in the social hierarchy (such as farmers)
“¡Mi sangre no se junta con la de los Humanes mientras yo viva! Su padre fue gañán” - Bernarda
“Thread and needle for females. Whip and mule for the male.”
Represents the strict gender roles in 20th century Andalusia
“Hilo y aguja para las hembras. Látigo y mula para el varón.” - Bernarda, Act 1
“During the 8 years of mourning, the wind from the street must not enter the house.”
Represents how nobody is allowed to open the door (which lets wind inside) and leave the house during the mourning period
“En ocho anos que dure el luto no ha de entrar en esta casa el viento de la calle.” - Bernarda, Act 1
“Women in the church should look no more at men than at the (religious) officiant, and at that one because he has skirts. To turn your head is to look for the warmth of a mate.”
Bernarda explains how women should only be focussed on their religion and not be looking at men during the funeral
“Las mujeres en la iglesia no deben mirar más hombre que al oficiante, y a ése porque tiene faldas. Volver la cabeza es buscar el calor de la pana.” - Bernarda, Act 1
“She is able to sit on top of your heart and watch you die for a year without that cold smile on her damn face closing.”
Represents Bernarda’s cold and evil personality
“Es capaz de sentarse encima de tu corazón y ver cómo te mueres durante un año sin que se le cierre esa sonrisa fría que lleva en su maldita cara.” - La Poncia
“Silence!”
The first and last lines spoken by Bernarda, represents her dominating personality and how she needs the daughters to keep quiet to protect their status/image
“Silencio.” - Bernarda, Act 1 & Act 3
“Magdalena, don’t cry.”
Bernarda is embarrassed by and disapproving of her daughters showing any emotion; it makes them look weak. Magdalena is the only daughter crying at the funeral.
“Magdalena, no llores.” - Bernarda, Act 1
“You serve me and I pay you, nothing more!”
Bernarda’s response when Poncia asks if they are friends. Represents Bernarda’s high social status and how she believes she is above/better than her servants.
“Me sirves y te pago. Nada mas!” - Bernarda, Act 1
“Women are cursed.”
Represents how women feel like they are treated worse by society than men e.g. forced to stay home, do household chores, cannot have relationships etc
“Malditas sean las mujeres.” - Magdalena
“She has put on her green dress”.
Referring to Adela wearing a green dress and breaking the mourning period. Green represents Adela’s desire for freedom compared to black which represents repression and strict rules. Green also represents fertility which links to Adela’s possible pregnancy by Pepe.
“Se ha puesto el traje verde.” - Magdalena
“I want to leave here! Bernarda! To get married by the sea shore, by the sea shore!”
Represents the repression faced by Maria Josefa; she has been locked up by Bernarda. Her idea of freedom is find true love without men wanting sexual gratification or money, to get married and have a baby.
“¡Quiero irme de aquí! ¡Bernarda! ¡A casarme a la orilla del mar, a la orilla del mar!” - Maria Josefa
“But he came for money.”
Represents that marriage is a business deal; Pepe only wants to marry Angustias for her inheritance money
“Pero viene por el dinero.” - Magdalena
“A daughter who disobeys stops being a daughter to become an enemy.”
Represents Bernarda’s obsession with status and appearance, she must have the perfect, most honourable family to prevent gossip. If her daughters disobey her rules, she sees this as sabotage to the family and they become her enemy.
“Una hija desobedece deja de ser hija para convertirse en una enemiga.” - Bernarda
“A room with a white interior.”
White is an important recurring colour in the play; “Alba” means white in Latin, the daughters make white bridal sheets and clothing
“Habitación blanca del interior.” - stage notes
“The stallion, he’s shut in and kicks at the wall. He must be hot.”
The stallion represents sexuality, passion, energy and a desire for freedom. He kicks the wall because he wants to be let out of the hot barn, similar to how the daughters act out (e.g. Adela wearing a green dress, Martirio stealing Pepe’s photo) because they want to be free from the prison of their house.
“El caballo garañón, que está encerrado y da coces contra el muro, … debe tener calor.” - Bernarda
“She, the young daughter of Bernarda Alba has died a virgin. Have you heard me?”
Represents Bernarda’s obsession with reputation and status. It would be embarrassing if people found out Adela was not a virgin, (she likely had sexual relations with Pepe) she would be considered “easy” which would cause gossip. Therefore, Bernarda tells her family to lie and declares that Adela died a virgin to keep up their reputation.
“Ella la hija menor de Bernarda Alba ha muerto virgen. Me habéis oído?” - Bernarda, Act 3
“I do with my body what I want!”
Represents Adela’s desire for freedom, especially sexual freedom. She doesn’t want to be controlled by Bernarda.
“Yo hago con mi cuerpo lo que me parece!” - Adela
“Being born a woman is the greatest punishment.”
Again represents how women feel like they are treated worse by society than men e.g. forced to stay home, do household chores, cannot have relationships etc
“Nacer mujer es el mayor castigo.” - Amelia
“The others, a lot of embroidered lace, many linen shirts, but bread and grapes for every inheritance.”
Represents how although they have nice physical clothing, the 4 daughters from Bernarda’s second marriage have no wealth value or inheritance, unlike Angustias who inherited a lot of wealth from her father (Bernarda’s first husband)
“Las demás, mucha puntilla bordada, muchas camisas de hilo, pero pan y uvas por toda herencia.” - La Poncia
“They say she was going with her breasts out and Maximiliano was playing her like a guitar. A horror!”
An example of “el qué dirán”, gossiping and making up rumours about Paca la Roseta being an “easy woman”
“Dicen que iba con los pechos fuera y Maximiliano la llevaba cogida como si tocara la guitarra. ¡Un horror!” - La Poncia
“No more Pepe el Romano.”
Martirio is so jealous of Adela that she lies to make it seem like Pepe is dead, when in fact he had escaped on his horse. This lie leads to Adela committing suicide because she can’t live without Pepe.
“Se acabó Pepe el Romano.” - Martirio
(In a low voice) “Old overcooked lizard.”
Insulting Bernarda, represents how people keep up respectable appearances but in hushed voices, they are critical and gossip
(En voz baja) “Vieja lagarta recocida.” - Mujer 1, Act 1
“The poet warns that these three acts are intended for a photographic documentary.”
Represents how Lorca created the play as a realistic social commentary
“El poeta advierte que estos tres actos tienen la intención de un documental fotográfico.” - Lorca
“I don’t want to be locked up.”
Represents Adela’s desire for freedom and liberty
“Yo no quiero estar encerrada.” - Adela, Act 1
“Here, the voices of imprisonment are over!” (Adela snatches the cane from her mother and splits it in two.) “This is what I do with the rod of the dominatrix.”
Represents Adela’s fight for freedom and the end of Bernarda’s dictatorship; the first time any of the daughters have so outwardly challenged Bernarda
“¡Aquí se acabaron las voces de presidio!” (Adela arrebata un bastón a su madre y lo parte en dos.) “Esto hago yo con la vara de la dominadora.” - Adela
“Bernarda, I want a man to marry me and to have joy!”
Represents Maria Josefa’s fight for freedom and her desire to get married to be happy
“¡Bernarda, yo quiero un varón para casarme y para tener alegría!” - Maria Josefa
“Tyrant of all those around her.”
Represents the tyrannical and controlling behaviour of Bernarda
“Tirana de todos los que la rodean.” - La Poncia
“But I’m a good bitch.”
Represents how despite her hatred for Bernarda, La Poncia remains faithful to her like a dog
“Pero yo soy buena perra.” - La Poncia, Act 1
“I know I’m not getting married. I’d rather take sacks to the mill.”
Represents how Magdalena has accepted her fate as a single woman who will never get married
“Sé que yo no me voy a casar. Prefiero llevar sacos al molino.” - Magdalena, Act 1
“Not a drop of poetry! Reality! Pure realism!”
Represents Lorca’s intentions for the play to be a demonstration of realism
“Ni una gota de poesía! ¡Realidad! ¡Realismo puro!” - Lorca
“Poetry rises from the book and becomes human.”
Represents Lorca’s appreciation for the art of poetry and how theatre engages an audience to think about human issues using poetry and song
“La poesia se levanta del libro y se hace humana.” - Lorca
“I was awakened by thirst.”
Thirst is a symbol for sexual desire; when Adela says she is going to quench her thirst, she really means that she is going to fulfil her sexual desire by meeting with Pepe
“Me despertó la sed.” - Adela
