Arthur Miller increases the tension within the play Essay

In this piece of coursework I will be analysing the tragic play â€Å"A view from the bridge† specifically pages 35 to 42. I also will be discussing how the author Arthur Miller increases the tension within the play which continues to create an impact towards the later stages of the play. The play tells us a story of Eddie which has already happened. This is why Alfieri takes the role of two crucial characters in the play: a chorus and the role of a lawyer. When I say chorus I mean he doesn’t just tell us the story but reflects on the story as well as telling us what to feel and think of the tragedy, just like the ancient Greek chorus. I believe that the title â€Å"A view from the bridge† is a metaphor for the role Alfieri plays due to the reason that he is a Sicilian American lawyer who probably lives in a lat in Manhattan however he crosses the bridge to a poor estate called Brooklyn. This helps us understand Alfieri is a chorus that who is like eyes looking down from the bridge. When Alfieri says â€Å"I knew, I knew then and there I could have finished the whole story then and there† Alfieri using the technique of doubling shows that he is confident and tries to make the audience in awe of the play I also believe that miller created the character Alfieri as his voice to express his feelings and tell the audience what he Miller thinks through Alfieri because when Alfieri says â€Å"it wasn’t as though a mystery to un ravel. I could see every step coming† this shows that Alfieri knows what will happen next yet unlike Miller, Alfieri is powerless to help Eddie this is shown when Alfieri says â€Å"I sat here many afternoons asking myself why, being an intelligent man, I was so powerless to stop it†. The play uses a great deal of dramatic irony as a technique to keep us interested in the play due to the reason that we are privileged miller gives us insights into the play letting us the audience know what some of the characters are not aware of. For example, when Rudolpho says â€Å"lemons are green† trying to correct Eddie, Eddie replies â€Å"I know lemons are green for Christ’s sake† Eddie says this in a angry tone leaving Rudolpho to wonder why Eddie just snapped at him like that however the audience know that Eddie is boiling with rage at Rudolpho who is stealing the women he loves and Rudolpho is everything Eddie cannot be The audience is also aware of the strain Eddie who is simmering with rage feels as he cannot deals with his love for Catherine. Alfieri sums up these feelings when he says â€Å"we all love somebody, the wife, the kids – every mans got somebody they love, heh? But sometimes†¦ there’s too much†¦ and it goes where it mustn’t. † Eddie hates the fact that Catherine should have relationships with anyone except him. Eddie is jealous of Catherine and Rodolpho’s relationship because Catherine loves him and not Eddie: he doesn’t like the fact that his feelings are one way only Tension is built up by the lack of ability of characters to communicate. An example of this is when Beatrice says Eddie is not a proper husband: â€Å"your wife gettin’ the money alright, Marco? MARCO â€Å"oh, yes† this shows that Beatrice is indirectly asking to Eddie why he cannot be a proper husband and care for his wife like Marco does. However through what I have read and gathered. To my understanding Beatrice is very loyal, compassionate and patient towards Eddie as she knows about Eddies feelings towards Catharine. â€Å"well be an uncle then† when she says this Beatrice is trying to remind Eddie that he is only her uncle and nothing else. In addition to that she is also trying indicate that Eddie is being overprotective as if he is her boyfriend. Miller also builds up the suspense and tension at the end of act 1 by showing Marco’s true strength when he lifts a chair from one corner with one hand keeping it straight, â€Å"raised like a weapon†, above Eddie’s head. This leaves us with a sort of cliffhanger in which the end of act 1 has changed the course of the story and has added to the mystery of Marco and his relationship with Eddie. To wrap up I would say that Miller builds up the tension and suspense between 35 to 42 due to the reason that he is ending act 1 so he has to create suspense so that the audience come back for act two anticipating what will happen next. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Miller section.