Blood Wedding

Lorca’s title in the original Spanish is Bodas de sangre, which suggests there is more than one wedding in the play. What weddings does Lorca refer to, and how do these complicate interpretations of the play?

Lorca largely removes Christianity in a play which aligns its sympathies with women who are victims and casualties of a patriarchal honor code. Does placing his drama in a pre-Christian Spain allow for a clearer examination of a male-dominated system? Why or why not?

The Mother and the Bride view the agency of women in different respects, yet each is conflicted with the position they assume. Compare and contrast their viewpoints and explain the contradictions each must overcome.

Explore Lorca’s use of minor characters as a Greek Chorus. How do they help the audience to understand the play’s events? What are three elements and symbols in their language, and how does the Chorus in its many forms develop them throughout the play?

Does the honor system allow men to police women’s bodies? Can you think of any contemporary analogues to the ways social systems try to police the bodies of women? Use examples from the play and contemporary life to compare and contrast.

The Moon’s monologue can be read as malevolent and joyous, while the Beggar Woman’s interaction with the Bridegroom is both kind and malicious. Why does Lorca endow these personified natural forces with these characteristics? What is he suggesting about nature?

Explore the significance of the songs and poetry throughout the work. How do they help frame the action and allow a deeper understanding of the surreal events depicted in Act III, Scene 1?

The work often highlights the seclusion of women and holds the male social order responsible. Lorca also portrays the three male characters—the Bridegroom, Leonardo, and the Father—as isolated. Choose one male and one female main character, and compare and contrast how they are isolated.

After striking the Bride at the end of the play, the Mother allows the Bride stay and mourn with her. What caused her change of heart? Why does she allow the Bride a place back in society? Is the Bride’s future ambiguous because of this?