Repression is a main theme in Yerma and so I would want to show this through my character. I am repressed by Juan but also by my religion as it is that which makes me stay with my repressing husband. Therefore to show this, after my attempt at trying to get Juan to comfort me fails I then try to get his attention by telling him how I would care for him. I am that desperate for his love.
On my line “Don’t take it wrong” I would jump out of my seat and hurriedly walk over to Juan and take both of his hands in mine. Then I would nervously laugh and rush and say my lines as if making an excuse for caring for my husband. I’m showing the audience how repressed by Juan I am because I give the impression I am apologising to him when really it should be him to me.
I also want to show that I am not happy in my marriage and that I want to get out. Therefore on the line “Every year… you and I…” I would look down and turn away from Juan. I would say it quietly so that I think he cant hear. Just by me turning away from him and avoiding his eyes shows that I don’t like the idea of living with him for years. I want to leave him but cant.
My line,” Don’t! Don’t keep telling me what people are saying!” refers to the views of people in Lorca’s period to homosexuality. The sexuality was believed useless as gays could not reproduce. People told Yerma and Juan that their marriage was useless as they could not conceive. It was believed they could no longer go to bed with one another and enjoy it as the soul purpose was to have a child which they could not do. Not only was Yerma barren but so was the marriage in societies eyes in her time and societies eyes in Lorca’s. The writers intention here is to allow the audience to empathise with Yerma being infertile and to accept her. Through having Yerma accepted he is closer to having homosexuality accepted. Therefore on this line I would make my voice start to quiver and then start crying and fall onto my knees on the floor. While crying I would take one of Juan’s hands and tug at his body to make him face me. Then on the line “But I can clearly see…” I would then stop crying and look away from Juan. My eyes would not be focussed on anything to show the audience and Juan that I had gone into a gaze and I’m thinking bout something. Then I would show a small smile to show that what I’m thinking about is pleasant. Then I would shake my head to knock me out of the gaze and wipe my eyes with my hand and quickly stumble to get up while Juan says his line, “You have to wait!”. Then I would act repressed again by Juan by answering him saying “Yes” and “of course” showing that I obey and agree with what he says.
Then I would slowly walk back over to my chair and with my back to the door I would begin to sit down. When Maria walks in I would quickly turn to see who it is in excitement but when realising it is Maria I would sigh and without acknowledging her I would sit back down. This makes it obvious to the audience that I was hoping Juan would have returned and I am disappointed to see that it is not him. On my line, “You probably bought coffee…” I would say it without any enthusiasm. When listing the things that Maria could have bought I look away from her because I know that she wants me to ask her “What have you bought” and so as I am not interested I am being awkwardly stubborn and I know this so I avoid eye contact with her. I do this also to show the contrast between the part of the scene before with Juan. In the last part of the scene I am not the one in control of the situation and it is me that tries to make conversation with him. However in this scene, I show just how repressed I am by Juan as I am in complete control of mine and Maria’s conversation and it is her that makes all the effort while I am awkward, trying not to talk to her. My desperation for a child is not obvious at this point. However, this part of the scene contrasts also with the next part.
When Maria tells me that she is pregnant, instantly I change character and am desperate to hear what she has to say. My desperation is apparent once again. In this scene I make the audience aware of something vital to Juan and my marriage. When I hear of Maria’s pregnancy I begin to act towards Maria as I did with Juan. I am desperate to hear every word she has and every time she goes to move away I block her. These actions could be misinterpreted for love and then the question appears in the audiences minds. Does Yerma really love Juan for him or for the love of a baby? She knows that it is against her religion to have a child with another man apart from her husband and so she knows that Juan is her only chance at having a baby. Here therefore, the audience realise that if Juan doesn’t want children then Yerma is trapped in a marriage that offers her everything then the one thing that she really wants. And then they begin to realise that the play can only end in tragedy. Up until this point the theme of the play is concealed but when realising how desperate Yerma is for a child it is apparent that the marriage is barren as it is “useless”. Through this play the writer intended to have homosexuality accepted. Yerma and Juan’s marriage is similar to the relationship of two gays. However, a gay’s marriage is not barren because, though they cannot conceive there is love and so the marriage is not useless. Lorca tried to show this through Yerma. Also, Lorca made the audience aware through Yerma the repression place on women in his time and Yerma’s time from their religion and husbands. His intention was to make the audience realise this and sympathise with Yerma and so through acting in the way I have I have hoped to have achieved the response from the audience which the writer desired.
