Character Analysis: The House of Bernarda Alba

The following profiles detail the main characters and their roles in the drama:

Bernarda Alba: Tyrant and Despot

Everything negative is focused on her. She is tyrannical, hypocritical, and despotic, making her the target of most criticism in the work. Her language reflects her character: the repeated use of prescriptive words and her reliance on the staff (bastón), symbolizing absolute power.

Angustias: The Eldest Daughter

Angustias is the eldest child, born from Bernarda's first marriage. She is expected to marry Pepe el Romano because of his money. Although aware of this arrangement, she is indifferent, as her only desire is to leave the house and escape her mother's power. At over 40 years old, she is devoid of passion and joy.

Magdalena: Resignation and Grief

Magdalena is the second daughter. She was the favorite of her late father, evidenced by her being the first to faint during the funeral mass responso (dirge). She is convinced she will never marry and wishes she had been born male (varón). She and Amelia have accepted their mother's power with resignation.

Amelia: The Timid Daughter

The third daughter of Bernarda. She possesses the most timid and fearful character of all the sisters, speaking very little throughout the work.

Martirio: Complexity, Resentment, and Jealousy

Martirio is the most complex of all the sisters. Her mother prevented her wedding to young Enrique Humanes because he was the son of a farmhand (gañán). She feels great resentment and jealousy toward her younger sister, Adela, feeling impotent because Adela attracts Pepe el Romano.

Adela: Vitality and Rebellion

The youngest daughter. She is unwilling to submit to tyranny and embodies vitality, contrasting sharply with her mother. She challenges established morality, even breaking her mother's staff (bastón). However, she finds it impossible to overcome Bernarda's power, leading her to a tragic fate.

La Poncia: Maid, Confidante, and Critic

La Poncia is the maid of the house. She is intimately connected to the family, having grown up with Bernarda since childhood. However, the prevailing brutal classism prevents true closeness. Despite the hatred she feels for Bernarda, she serves as her main confidante. Her popular and varied speech is notable.

María Josefa: Madness and Truth

Bernarda's mother. She is an elderly, "crazy" woman whose words reveal both madness and profound truth. She voices the desires for freedom, love, and maternity that none of the daughters dare express. Bernarda keeps her locked in the attic (desván) because she presents a bad image to the community.

Pepe el Romano: The Absent Catalyst

He never appears physically in the work, yet he is omnipresent. He acts as the catalyst for all the passions and anger within the house.