Characters
Adela
Adela, at 20 years old, is the youngest, most attractive, spirited, and rebellious of Bernarda's daughters. According to Magdalena, Adela "still has her illusions," which makes it hard for her to submit to her mother's strict control. As an act of defiance, Adela dons a green birthday dress and goes into the yard, shouting, "Chickens, look at me!" She longs for social interaction and finds it unbearable to be isolated from the world. Adela feels a profound connection to nature and yearns to escape the confines of the house to breathe the fresh air of the fields. As her conflict with her mother's authority escalates, Adela's rebellion is symbolized by her breaking Bernarda's walking stick, which Bernarda uses to discipline her daughters. Ultimately, Adela chooses death as a way out of an intolerable life when the only alternative she sees—Pepe—is no longer an option.
Bernarda Alba
At 60 years old, Bernarda feels out of place in the village, convinced that everyone despises her. She believes she is socially superior to her neighbors and refuses to let her daughters be courted by the local men, whom she generally considers inferior. She curses "this village full of wells where you drink water always fearful it's been poisoned." Bernarda rules her household with an iron fist; La Poncia describes her as a "domineering old tyrant." Her husband, Antonio Maria Benavides, has recently passed away, and the family has gathered for his funeral. Bernarda's control over her family and servants grows even stricter on the day of the funeral. She is harsh on her daughters, driven by a sense of what she believes is proper behavior for women in mourning. She plans to keep the house in mourning for eight years and insists her daughters cover their heads. Bernarda is a vicious and manipulative individual who keeps track of every scandal involving her neighbors to use the information against them. She appears unaffected by Adela's death, more concerned with public perception as she instructs her daughters to maintain the facade that "She, the youngest daughter of Bernarda Alba, died a virgin."
Amelia
Among all the characters, Amelia, Bernarda's third youngest daughter at 27, perhaps stands out the least. She is kindhearted and dislikes hearing her mother speak harshly. She worries about Martirio's health, even if Martirio does not. Like Martirio, she feels uncomfortable and embarrassed around men. Like Magdalena, she believes that being born a woman is life's greatest punishment. Amelia seems to be afraid of almost everything; unlike Adela, who seeks the truth, Amelia prefers to close her eyes to it.
Angustias
At 39 years old, Angustias is the eldest daughter and a half-sister to the others, being the child of Bernarda’s first marriage. She is the only one with a notable inheritance, which attracts the attention of her suitor, Pepe el Romano. Bernarda strikes her when she discovers Angustias has been peeking through the door cracks at the men leaving the funeral. Angustias is aware that Pepe is interested in her solely for her money but has come to accept this. Towards the end of the play, she stands firm when an hysterical Adela demands she tell Pepe that Adela will be his. Angustias curses her sister, calling her: "Thief! Disgrace of this house!"
First Servant
See Maid.
La Poncia
La Poncia, at 60 years old, harbors resentment towards Bernarda for her harsh treatment of the servants, as Bernarda demands perfection and works them relentlessly. She is perhaps the most intricate character in the play, acting as a mediator who remains genuine. Torn between a sense of obligation and hatred towards...
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Bernarda, La Poncia’s sons also work in Bernarda's fields, placing the family's economic fate in Bernarda's hands. Despite this, La Poncia speaks candidly to Bernarda, a privilege possibly afforded by their shared age (Lorca notes they are exactly the same age). She offers the daughters much-needed friendly conversation and occasionally defends them to Bernarda. La Poncia continually attempts to make Bernarda acknowledge the brewing issues within the household.
Magdalena
Magdalena, aged 30, appears to be the only daughter who genuinely loved her father, fainting during his funeral. She is a realist, bordering on pessimism, and believes she will never marry. Like Martirio, she claims indifference towards life and death. She denounces hypocrisy when she encounters it and believes women should be strong and not tolerate mistreatment from men. She refuses to contribute to making clothes for the christening of Angustias’s future first child, finding solace in fond memories of the past.
Maid
The maid, like the other servants employed by Bernarda, spends her life cleaning the house until her fingers bleed, never earning Bernarda’s approval. When she hears the bells tolling for Bernarda’s dead husband, she curses him, saying, "You'll never again lift my skirts behind the corral door!" She is 50 years old.
Maria Josefa
Bernarda's 80-year-old mother, Maria Josefa, is the most poetic character in the play. She shares a deep connection with Adela, as both yearn to escape the confines of the house and find freedom. Maria Josefa serves as a painful voice of truth for Bernarda, who keeps her imprisoned. Although her desires—marriage to a young, virile man and having many children—seem irrational, she possesses a keen awareness of the household's dire situation, more so than Bernarda. When she cradles the lamb, she understands it is not a real baby but accepts it as a small comfort.
Martirio
Martirio, Bernarda's 24-year-old second youngest daughter, has been under medical care but shows no hope of recovery. She takes her medicine out of routine rather than concern for her health. In many ways, she mirrors a younger version of her mother, earning the nickname "a poisoned well" from La Poncia. Martirio believes that God made her weak and unattractive, leading her to conclude that "it's better never to look at a man." Despite claiming that having a boyfriend doesn't matter to her, she is consumed by jealousy and sexual frustration. She steals a picture of Pepe el Romano to possess at least an image of a man. Martirio is the only daughter who reluctantly admits that Pepe el Romano truly loves Adela, not Angustias, to whom he is engaged. Nevertheless, she does everything in her power to keep Adela and Pepe apart.
Prudencia
Prudencia, one of Bernarda's few local friends, is 50 years old and frustrated with her husband, who refuses to forgive their daughter for a long-past incident.
