Bernarda, the matriarch of the family, is the one that imposes the repression that drives the play and which is the source of the tension between the sisters. Bernarda applies a regime based on social values and a very strong sense of honour that leaves no room for the passion, which clashes with the need of their daughters to experience love and intimacy. The result is that under the surface of what appear standard relationships, the characters createcomplex and irrational dynamics that surface at the end of the play, leading to a tragic end. Bernarda is of great critical interest because she is not only the central point of the work from which all conflict emanates, but the play also reflects the political environment of Spain in the first half of the 20th century.