Bernarda is the 60-year-old mistress of the Benavides household. Following her husband's death, she seals the doors and windows, forbidding her five daughters from leaving or interacting with the outside world. She rules her domain strictly, relying on a walking cane to issue orders and strike her daughters when they disobey. She cares primarily about maintaining a pristine social reputation in the village, which blinds her to the secrets growing inside her home.

Adela is the 20-year-old youngest daughter of the household. She openly rejects the forced eight-year mourning period, desiring to live freely and experience the outside world. She stays awake late into the night, refusing to accept a life locked indoors. Her intense physical desires make her reckless regarding the strict social rules governing the village women.

La Poncia is the 60-year-old housekeeper who has worked for Bernarda for thirty years. She holds a lower social class than her employer, which Bernarda constantly reinforces, yet she knows the family intimately. She observes the hidden dynamics between the daughters and tries to intervene before their jealousies destroy the household.

At 39, Angustias is the eldest daughter and the only child from Bernarda's first marriage. She inherits a sizable fortune from her biological father, making her the wealthiest woman in the household. Because of her dowry, she attracts the courtship of a handsome bachelor, drawing the quiet resentment of her younger, poorer sisters.

Magdalena is the 30-year-old second eldest daughter and the firstborn of Bernarda's second marriage. She accepts that she will never marry and openly despises the physical confinement forced upon women of her class. She speaks bluntly about the miserable reality of their situation.

Amelia is the 27-year-old middle child of the household. She attempts to mediate conflicts among her sisters and offers comfort when they fall ill or grow depressed. She fears the harsh judgment of the village and submits completely to her mother's strict rules.

At 24, Martirio is the second-youngest daughter of the family. She suffers from poor health and views the world pessimistically, a trait exacerbated by a sabotaged courtship in her past. She harbors a deep fear of men combined with bitter jealousy toward her sisters' romantic activities. She stays awake at night, listening through the walls and catching inconsistencies in the others' stories.

Pepe is a 25-year-old man considered the most attractive bachelor in the village. He drives the tension of the household entirely from the outside. He formally courts the eldest sister for her substantial dowry, while simultaneously meeting secretly with the youngest sister in the early hours of the morning.

Maria Josefa is Bernarda's 80-year-old mother. She suffers from dementia and experiences periods of confused wandering. Bernarda keeps her physically locked in a room to prevent the neighbors from witnessing her erratic behavior. Whenever she escapes, she sings loudly about wanting to marry a handsome man by the sea, expressing the very desires her granddaughters must hide.

The unnamed Servant assists La Poncia with the heavy labor required to maintain the large household. She harbors a bitter grudge against her late master, who sexually exploited her during his life. She lacks the authority of La Poncia but shares her clear-eyed view of the family's dysfunction.

Antonio is Bernarda's second husband, whose recent funeral opens the story. His death triggers the mandatory mourning period that traps the women inside the house. His past actions, ranging from preserving his stepdaughter's inheritance to exploiting the household staff, continue to shape the family's reality.

Enrique is a young man from the village's past who previously attempted to court Martirio. He promised to take her away, but he failed to appear at her window on the appointed night due to unseen interference from Bernarda.

Prudencia is a friend and neighbor of the family. She visits the house, providing the women a rare opportunity to socialize with an outsider and display their supposedly perfect domestic tranquility.