A View from a Bridge. How Does Betrayal Work as a Thematic Material? Who Does Eddie Betray In The Play? How Is Eddie Punished For His Betrayal?

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How Does Betrayal Work as a Thematic Material? Who Does Eddie Betray In The Play? How Is Eddie Punished For His Betrayal?

A View from a Bridge is a play set in the late 1940’s. Throughout the play Eddie betrays many people which leads to the climax of the play. At the beginning of the play we see Eddie talking to Beatrice and Catherine and he tells a story about a boy called “Vinny Bolzano” who ratted on his family to immigrations; it is this that foreshadows what is to come.

Betrayal is one of the main themes in the play that causes the Carbone family problems. It is the importance of Betrayal which leads to the plot in the play. The irrational human behaviour in the play is the way Eddie looses control of his actions, it is this that supports the theme betrayal in the play. Eddie is driven by the incestuous love for his niece meaning he resorts to desperate measures to protect his identity. It is this that leads to the main plot of the play so it’s very important for Miller to build it up well. All the characters in the play are linked to betrayal which shows how significant and important it is however the theme community undermines the betrayal as it doesn’t support it in how Eddie chooses to go against his family and begins his obsession with himself.

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Eddie betrays numerous of characters in the play ranging from Catherine to Marco. The stage directions tell us that “a phone booth begins to glow...a faint, lonely blow” this is the temptation of ringing the “Immigration Bureau” to “snitch” on Rudolpho and Eddie falls for this. By doing this Eddie betrays his principles towards Catherine and breaks their trust foreshadowing the actions that happen ahead. As Catherine “stands a moment staring at him in realized horror” as the Immigration officers search for Marco and Rudolph, this shows that how Catherine feels from Eddies betrayal and suggest it changes everything in ...

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