Part One – Works in Translation
Blood Wedding, Lorca, 20C (Spanish)
Interactive Oral Presentations
As part of the Works in Translation unit, you need to undertake at least one interactive oral
on each text you study. The purpose of an interactive oral is to gain information about the
context and the culture in which the work was produced. Through the interactive oral you
should be able to understand the text more, because you have a greater insight into the
context and culture in which it was produced. You will then reflect on the insight you have
gained in your Reflective Statement.
Topics for Presentations
1. Key historical, political and social events of twentieth century Spain. What key
historical, social, political events took place in twentieth century Spain? How did the
early part of twentieth century Spain differ to the later part of twentieth century
Spain / 21st century Spain? How did the political events of Spain in the 1920s and
1930s impact upon the people of Spain? Who was Franco and how did his rule
impact Spain and its people? What links can you make between your research and
the text?
2. Theatrical and Artistic influences. What artistic influences can be found in Lorca’s
Work? What is surrealism? Who were the main proponents of this artistic
movement? How can the concept of surrealism be applied to ‘Blood Wedding’. How
can the concept of Dadaism be applied to Blood Wedding? What other works of art
can be considered as surrealist / Dadaist? What is it that makes them so? What links
can you make between your research and the play? What was Spanish theater like
in the early twentieth century? Who would go to the theatre? How did Lorca’s plays
differ to previous plays of the time? How was ‘Blood Wedding’ received when it was
first produced? How is it received today?
3. Sex, Gender and Marriage. What is the difference between gender and sex? How
were men and women socialized in twentieth century Spain? What were twentieth
century societal expectations of men and women in Spain? What rights did men and
women have in twentieth century Spain? What were the predominant ideas of the
institution of marriage? How were marriages arranged? What was married life like
for men and women? What links can you make between your research and the play?
4. Social Institutions and social change. What were the key social institutions of
twentieth century Spain? How significant was religion in people’s lives? What were
the key philosophical ideas of the time? What impact did these social institutions
have on everyday life of the citizens of Spain (what were their ideologies)? How was
twentieth century Spain structured? What was the social hierarchy like? How did
life differ in the cities and in the countryside? How was the life of citizens being
influenced or changing? What links can you make between your research and the
text?
5. Social Morality and Ethics. What were the moral and ethical codes of twentieth
century Spain (early / late and 21st century)? How did these affect and effect citizens’
lives in Spain? What was considered taboo in twentieth century Spain and why were
these things considered taboo? Were any of these taboos flaunted and why were
they flaunted? What were the punishments for those who broke moral and ethical
codes of conduct and behavior? What links can you make between your research
and the text?
6. Lorca’s’ Biography. What is Lorca’s background? How is his life, his views and
attitudes reflected in his work? What were the most significant texts he wrote and
how were they received? Who were the other key Spanish writers / artists of Lorca’s
day? How did they compare to Lorca? How did the events that were taking place in
the society of Lorca’s day influence his works? Can any of these events be seen in
the text? What were Lorca’s artistic, literary or philosophical influences? What did
Lorca want to achieve through his literary works? What links can you make between
your research and the text?
Preparation Time
Thursday and Friday (to include homework)
Presentations
Monday (with use of a Poster as a visual aid for the display).
As audience members, you will be expected to make notes on what is discussed during the
presentations as this will help aid your understanding of the text.