“I came for a result. I don’t believe you’re a deceitful woman.”
I would not really show much energy to give the impression I am brushing off the idea that I was brave to show modesty and to show that I am not worried about being here.
Throughout the play Yerma has been longing for a child,
“I tell you my child its true, its true! I am broke and torn for you! My womb aches for you.”
yet has not really told anyone how she really feels. She has sung to herself but has been reserved and has not demonstrated her feelings. However, in this scene Yerma feels free and starts to tell Delores and the old women what she imagines she would be like with her child.
“Just pick up the babies and wash them in fresh water…With my own child, that wouldn’t disgust me.”
On this line I would turn away from both Delores and the old women and loose focus of anything around me. I would make it look to the audience like I am day dreaming and the words are just flowing off my tongue like it is an old memory and I have imagined it many a time. Finishing the line, I would slowly turn back to Delores to make it aware that I have realised I have just told someone how I really feel and that I don’t care. I am still not worried or scared.
Again I would want to show that I don’t care that I am telling these women how I really feel and so on my line,
“I have always been disgusted by hot blooded women, but at that moment I would like to be a mountain of fire”
I would stutter to show that I have never said this before to anyone and I am thinking it now and immediately saying what I think. I would shout this line but then quickly control myself to show that though I am telling these women more then I would normally I am not telling them everything I want to but still I feel refreshed that I have told them what I have,
“I needed to get this off my chest”.
As the morning begins to appear, Delores who was meant to be the wise, all knowing character in the play, begins to get agitated that Yerma is still at her house and could be seen. In turn, the two old women try to rush her out of the back door,
“You’d better go around by the water dish”
and Yerma begins to get annoyed and seems like she is in no rush to leave as if she wants to be found by Juan..
When Juan enters, Yerma remains the unrestricted and liberated character she has been all through the scene. She now stands up to Juan and shouts things to him that she knows he will not like.
“If I could, I would shout,… that I am cloaked in purity.”
On this line I would shout loudly but would not show emotion like in other scenes with Juan. This would show that though I was upset about it before I no longer find conceiving a problem and though conceiving normally would consist of two people I now know how to fall pregnant and so do not need Juan any more. Therefore in this scene I am not scared of upsetting Juan in the fear of him leaving me.
I am now the one that is in control and so, on my line,
“I won’t let you say one more word…”
I would begin to edge toward Juan slowly to intimidate him while pointing my index finger straight at him. However, in the next bit of the line when I say,
“Come here! Come close to me…!”
I would stop as if beckoning for Juan to come to me. The first “come here” I would say it quietly and lovingly to make Juan relax but then would say my second “come close to me” shouting to show that I am angry at him for thinking that I have been unfaithful to him. I would also want to make it aware to the audience that I have not been an unfaithful wife and that I have stuck to tradition and have stayed with my husband though it has caused me great pain. I would also show this when I say my lines
“I am looking for you, I’m looking for you!”
I try once for the last time to act as a wife to my husband in this scene and take hold of him to try to calm him down but when I am flung to the floor I would clench my fists to show that I am trying to hold my anger in but it is no good and so I would jump to my feet and continue to scream at Juan.
On my last line,
“That’s it! Let my lips be sealed!”
I would say it quietly and slowly as if out of breath. I would show that I am tired and I have had enough of arguing. Doing this I also show that I have absolutely no feeling left toward Juan as I am willing to leave with him.
Through acting in this way I have hoped to show a contrast between when Yerma is free and when Juan tries to control her. I have tried to show to the audience as well as the characters that I no longer love Juan and just crave for a child. I no longer care what people think as long as I am getting what I have longed for for so long.
