"Blood Wedding" by Federico Garcia Lorca

In our interactive oral we discussed several themes that are depicted by Federico Garcia Lorca’s blood wedding. I developed a wider understanding of the cultural and contextual considerations of the work since other students brought to my attention the historical and cultural background of Spain the time of writing the play. Federico wrote blood wedding during time of revolution within Spain and people were fighting against totalitarian regimes that had enforced rogue laws and orders. The gender laws favored men to much extend whereas women were required to be loyal to their men and formed a weak group in the society. On the other hand, men were expected to be providers, strong and masculine. Federico challenges the expectations in the society and makes women to look strong.

The bridegroom is described to be obedient to his mother where the mother drives the important decision in the homestead. The relation of the Federico’s play to the range of activities taking place during Spain revolution makes the play to sound more engaging. The play describes a wedding planned to take place between a nobleman whose family owns vineyards and could afford to buy much stock from a shop and a peasant family that lives a lonely life away in the dessert, a lonely place with much less presence of life. Several themes come up during the play that helps us understand the cycle of life and relate to the community way of living. We have agreed that there is classes in the society do exist and all individuals cannot be financially equal. We have also established several evils done in the society and that individuals cannot have their own identities without incorporating positive and negative aspects of the past. The most useful part of the interactive oral was to find out that the Federico’s blood wedding relates much to the current society where women have been empowered and have occupied political positions where they have been involved in making crucial decisions. The play also relates much to the current society where individuals have been caught up in love triangles and have ended up killing each other. It also relates on the current classes of society, the rich and the peasants. All these have coexisted even before Federico wrote the blood wedding.

The significance of time and place in Federico Garcia Lorca’s blood wedding Federico Garcia Lorca, a prominent author and poet, of Spanish origin executed at the start of civil war wrote blood wedding that was based on culture and society showing the everyday aspects of a society. Several themes have been described by the plays that are day-to-day activities in the society and they account for several stages of human race. Federico illustrates the gaps in the society that exist may be financially or the way people live at their homesteads. He also describes several evils that happen in the society and their causes most lead by the spirit of revenge. Time and place form a basis for Lorca’s drama and play a significant role in plotting of the drama where he is deliberate in the construction of the play. Lorca is well informed of the context of the play is written. He relates the drama with current affairs as Spaniards are involved in a war with a totalitarian regime that is ruthless and the people also have become ruthless with murder taking place as it would be normal. He describes that people are also taking revenge for evils did to them by their fellow individuals where they are divided by political situations in the country. The planned wedding between the bridegroom and bride symbolizes the passage from childhood to adulthood, an aspect of time in most cultures where individuals are thought to be adults when they get married. The rise of two Spains, a time when the Spain was defeated by the U.S. it is also the exact birth year of Lorca in 1898 plays a significant role in the writing of this drama.

The rule of king Alfonzo started drifting and economy started weakening since the country had been involved in many wars such as in morocco and growing independence movements in Cuba. The country plugged into a crisis and with no agreement at home and no know path to take, it became trapped without hope and society grew much divisive. This led to overthrow of the king and a new regime came to power. As each government proposed radical policies, the country grew more polarized. This played a significant role in the timing of the play when the society was full of evils uncontrollably trending throughout. All these issues are highlighted in the play where bridegroom’s father and brother were murdered by Felix and the family now engulfed in a feud with the family. Lorca illustrates in that an incidence thought to have passed, a new feud is created when bridegroom is entangled in a love triangle with a family member of Felix’s family, Leonardo Felix where revenge results to death of the three individuals. Lorca’s involvement as a political activist in the country and a time when the totalitarian government sought to control the theatre and deliver its message through art, he stood against such stance. The play depicts a reality in which individuals struggle under the weight of the world. In the political situation in which Lorca writes the blood wedding seeks to generalize the struggle to which individuals pass through in a failed nation. Place also play a significant role in the Lorca’s blood wedding where it depicts difference in the society.

Bridegroom’s home reflects the prosperity and vast wealth. This is shown by the ability of the groom to purchase a vineyard and also the ability to purchase a lot of stock from the Girl’s shop. The place where the bride lives in a far away location that is in a cave that creates a gap between the rich and the poor. Bridegroom’s home has a range of plants and vineyard whereas in the bride’s area it is a desert place. Another illustration of place is the setting of the forest. This is the place where the bride and Leonardo make their escape and it captures the feeling of naturalism, triggering the most intense of passions and experiences. The context of the play conveys the timeless nature and depict base of human emotions. Andalusia, a vast region of the southern Spain where it forms the setting of this play which is inhabited by Moors from Northern Africa has a rich culture. It influences many areas especially in architecture, vocabulary, place names, poetry and music. The culture shows that it has led to a greater influence to produce flamenco songs, music and dance. This is depicted in the drama where the wedding ceremony is full of music and various dance styles. The guests are deep into music as it is their culture to hold such ceremonies at the bride’s home. The society described in the play to comprises of a deep culture that influences day to day activities of individuals. The drama show that women in the society are involved in making decisions as shown where bridegroom discuss his plans with the mother in order to be sure to make formed decisions Place