Explain the dramatic significance of Mr Alfieri.

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Explain the dramatic significance of Mr Alfieri

The angle of the lighting casts a shadow across him however; it is clear from his demeanour that he is a man of importance. As he emerges from the silhouettes his attire is a contrast to the shabby backdrop. His name is Mr Alfieri and his character is vital in connecting the audience more directly with the play. Therefore, in the following piece of coursework on ‘A view from the bridge’ I will mainly focus on Mr Alfieri’s impact throughout the play.

Mr Alfieri is a representation of a Greek chorus in this play. It cannot be said whether he is part of the audience or a complete character as the play write wanted him to be both. Mr Alfieri could decide how the play un-ravels however due to the fact he was only scripted to be a link between the audience and the play makes it hard for him to take control. Therefore he has little impact on the action that takes place during the play. It is very clear Mr Alfieri is respected but also slightly feared by the inhabitants of Red Hook as he is a man of authority. ‘You see how uneasily they nod to me?’ In his opening line Mr Alfieri tells the audience directly how he is seen by other characters and the reason they are so uneasy is ‘because I am a lawyer’, he explains. Mr Alfieri on stage is sat in his office and directly addresses the other character however once they have left he sits himself upon his desk and addresses the audience. In the final piece of the play Mr Alfieri is on the street with the other characters although the other characters appear not to see him, it is as if he is looking at it all through a shaded window. He then turns toward the audience and says the final words of the play and it is then he teaches us the lesson.

The words Mr Alfieri speaks are very simplistic when addressing the other characters and this is needed as the other characters are not as literate as him. This however changes when he turns to speak directly to the audience, he talks to them as if they were exactly like him well educated and of authority. There are very few props used by the character Mr Alfieri his desk is the only prop he uses as part of his acting and direct speaking with the audience. This makes it very easy to follow him as the audience are not distracted by a mass of props. The outfit he is dressed in is a black suit one typically associated with lawyers or people power.

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The play is set in the 1940’s a time when the world was at war for a second time. The 1940’s were a difficult era globally. Whilst Europe was embedded in heavy conflict the rest of the world were also feeling the consequences. America was one of these places and was economically affected.

There was no regular work and gangsters were running many things. Even though there was a shortage of work, and violence was on the increase immigrants were constantly taking a chance, and searching for a better life elsewhere and heading to America. The immigrants typically ...

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