La casa de Bernarda Alba – Complete Study Guide and Workbook

Master **Federico García Lorca’s La casa de Bernarda Alba **with this 425-page study guide and workbook.

Dive into the play with detailed analyses in Spanish and interactive worksheets designed to make learning active, engaging, and effective.

Why You Need This Guide

Fully explores characters, themes, symbolism, and style with in-depth Spanish-language analysis.
Includes workbook activities for every key point: comprehension questions, essay prompts, discussion exercises, and creative tasks.
Provides a complete framework for exam prep and essay writing, including 100 essay titles.
Perfect for classroom use, independent study, or exam revision.
What’s Inside:

Introduction & Context

• Overview of La casa de Bernarda Alba
• Author Biography: Federico García Lorca
• Historical, Social, and Cultural Context
• Spain in the Early 20th Century
• Lorca and the Generation of ’27
• The Spanish Civil War and Political Tensions
• Catholicism, Conservatism, and Gender Roles
• Andalusian Culture and Rural Traditions
• Honour, Reputation, and Social Hierarchies
• Women in Spanish Society
• Lorca’s Death and Legacy

Detailed Summary & Analysis

• Act I, Act II, Act III
• Overall Structure and Dramatic Arc

Character Analysis

Bernarda Alba, María Josefa, Angustias, Magdalena, Amelia, Martirio, Adela, La Poncia, Pepe el Romano (offstage presence), and The Servants
Themes and Motifs

Authority and Tyranny

• Repression and Desire
• Honour and Shame
• Gender, Power, and Oppression
• Freedom and Entrapment
• Silence and Voice
• Generational Conflict
• Class and Social Status
• Fate and Inevitability
• Symbolism

The House as Prison

• Heat and Summer
• Colour and Clothing (Black, White, Green)
• The Stallion and Animal Imagery
• Windows and Doors
• Death and the Cycle of Life
• Water and Thirst
• Needles, Sewing, and Domesticity
• Style and Structure

Lorca’s Use of Tragedy

• Dialogue, Silence, and Subtext
• Poetic Language and Symbolism
• Realism and Ritual
• Stagecraft and Dramatic Tension
• The Role of Offstage Action
• Contrast Between Private and Public Spaces
• Performance and Reception

First Performances and Censorship

• Critical Reception
• Influence and Legacy
• Study Tools & Resources

Discussion Questions

• Glossary of Key Terms
• Timeline of Lorca’s Life and Works
• 100 Essay Titles