'After closely reading the opening scene explain how the audience is prepared for the rest of the play.'
Priestley uses 'An Inspector Calls' to show people the importance of community and the fact that we are all responsible for one another. In the opening of the play, the audience is prepared for the inspector's entrance by a series of clues and hints. Priestley's most obvious technique for this is his use of dramatic irony particularly in Birling's speeches and also his precise use of stage directions to show the audience the intentions to what is being said and done. Moreover, he uses characters and their relationships to one another to show how they would like to be seen and how they really are. Lastly, the order in which events, happen especially Birling's final speech before the inspector arrives, is of great significance.
In the opening scene, the family is having a small dinner for Sheila's engagement to Gerald. Mrs Birling immediately establishes her role in the family by 'reproachfully' correcting Birling for boasting about the dinner in front of Gerald, 'Arthur, you're not supposed to say such things-'. This and the stage direction show that Mrs Birling is dominant enough to keep Birling in his place. This shows the audience that she has little respect for people of lower class and is not afraid to use her status to influence people this prepares the audience for later on in the play when we find out that Mrs Birling used her influence to stop a charity from helping Eva smith. Furthermore, due to a number of hints the audience can see that the relationship between Sheila and Gerald is not quite, what it seems. Sheila 'with mock aggressiveness' dares Gerald to object to her father treating him like one of the family, then Gerald says 'wouldn't dream of lt. In fact, I insist upon being one of the family now. I've been trying long enough, haven't I?' In addition, the stage directions say 'as she does not reply, with more insistence.' This hints that something has been going on because as soon as Gerald says he has been trying to be part of the family for along time Sheila stops talking like there is something on her mind. Which we find out is that the summer before Gerald did not come near her 'except for all last summer when you didn't come near me.' Moreover, the stage directions also say Sheila is 'half playful, half serious'; this prepares the audience for the problems in their relationship later on in the play by making the audience doubt their relationship. In addition, Birling is more interested in what Sheila's marriage to Gerald will do for his businesses than her happiness, 'You're father and I have been friendly rivals in business for some time...Now you've brought us together.' This gives the audience the notion that Birling cares more about profit than his children reducing the audiences respect for him. Eric makes a toast to Gerald and Sheila and says Sheila, has a temper but is not bad really also, the stage directions imply that he is drunk 'rather noisily' this comment made by Eric hints to the audience that Sheila is not the sweet little girl next door she tries to seem.
Priestley uses 'An Inspector Calls' to show people the importance of community and the fact that we are all responsible for one another. In the opening of the play, the audience is prepared for the inspector's entrance by a series of clues and hints. Priestley's most obvious technique for this is his use of dramatic irony particularly in Birling's speeches and also his precise use of stage directions to show the audience the intentions to what is being said and done. Moreover, he uses characters and their relationships to one another to show how they would like to be seen and how they really are. Lastly, the order in which events, happen especially Birling's final speech before the inspector arrives, is of great significance.
In the opening scene, the family is having a small dinner for Sheila's engagement to Gerald. Mrs Birling immediately establishes her role in the family by 'reproachfully' correcting Birling for boasting about the dinner in front of Gerald, 'Arthur, you're not supposed to say such things-'. This and the stage direction show that Mrs Birling is dominant enough to keep Birling in his place. This shows the audience that she has little respect for people of lower class and is not afraid to use her status to influence people this prepares the audience for later on in the play when we find out that Mrs Birling used her influence to stop a charity from helping Eva smith. Furthermore, due to a number of hints the audience can see that the relationship between Sheila and Gerald is not quite, what it seems. Sheila 'with mock aggressiveness' dares Gerald to object to her father treating him like one of the family, then Gerald says 'wouldn't dream of lt. In fact, I insist upon being one of the family now. I've been trying long enough, haven't I?' In addition, the stage directions say 'as she does not reply, with more insistence.' This hints that something has been going on because as soon as Gerald says he has been trying to be part of the family for along time Sheila stops talking like there is something on her mind. Which we find out is that the summer before Gerald did not come near her 'except for all last summer when you didn't come near me.' Moreover, the stage directions also say Sheila is 'half playful, half serious'; this prepares the audience for the problems in their relationship later on in the play by making the audience doubt their relationship. In addition, Birling is more interested in what Sheila's marriage to Gerald will do for his businesses than her happiness, 'You're father and I have been friendly rivals in business for some time...Now you've brought us together.' This gives the audience the notion that Birling cares more about profit than his children reducing the audiences respect for him. Eric makes a toast to Gerald and Sheila and says Sheila, has a temper but is not bad really also, the stage directions imply that he is drunk 'rather noisily' this comment made by Eric hints to the audience that Sheila is not the sweet little girl next door she tries to seem.
