Explore the role of Alfieri in Miller’s ‘A View from the Bridge’Alfieri is an imperative part of Arthur Miller’s ‘A View From The Bridge’. His dual-use as both a character and a chorus make him an unusual but effective part of the play. He holds the audience’s attention, adding to their understanding of the changing dynamics throughout the play and is also used by Miller to voice his opinions – his main one being to prove that the death of a low-born character is equally as tragic as the death of a high-born. This was contrary to belief at the time. The structure of the play is very important to the content of the performance. The story is set out in two very definite acts which is important to the audience and their understanding of the play. The events of Act I are mirrored in Act II, although in a more serious manner. For instance, the recital of ‘Paper Doll’ by Rodolfo early in Act I has significance later on, being the record to which the ‘couple’ dance to (in direct defiance of Eddie.) ‘A View from the Bridge’ is a tragedy because Eddie, the protagonist, has both a serious accident and commits a crime of betrayal. He is respected within his community but because of his hamartia (his view on manliness and his paternalistic figure upon Catherine) he suffers death through peripeteia. The play also provokes our pity and fear through dealing with characters who seem closer to us and our experiences. Through certain aspects of the play -its setting and the background - the idea of a tragic ending becomes increasingly evident and the first aspect of the play to be seen is the setting, both on stage and in society. This gives the audience insight to the theme of tragedy as Alfieri helps the audience to see Eddie’s position, he is in the middle fighting the temptation of betraying Rodolfo and Marco in order to stop the romance that he can’t bear to see blossom between his niece and Rodolfo. Miller modelled the play on a Greek tragedy. The most striking feature of that is his use of a
chorus. This is defined as “a character who represents ordinary people in their attitudes to the action which they witness as bystanders and on which they comment” (Penguin Dictionary.) In Greek tragedy a group of people informed the audience of events throughout the performance, narrated off-stage happenings, commented on the characters, told the audience what to think and even what was going to happen. This is the role played by Alfieri in ‘A view from the Bridge’ and much of his speaking takes the form of soliloquies. His descriptions of the people within the play and narration at the beginning ...
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chorus. This is defined as “a character who represents ordinary people in their attitudes to the action which they witness as bystanders and on which they comment” (Penguin Dictionary.) In Greek tragedy a group of people informed the audience of events throughout the performance, narrated off-stage happenings, commented on the characters, told the audience what to think and even what was going to happen. This is the role played by Alfieri in ‘A view from the Bridge’ and much of his speaking takes the form of soliloquies. His descriptions of the people within the play and narration at the beginning of each scene helps to distinguish the different sections of the play. Alfieri is fairly unimportant in the action of the play in general, but he more importantly frames the play as a form of a modern story. Like the chorus of the Greek Theatre he is powerless to effect events. It is unusual for a dramatic performance to have a character like this within it. However, when the ‘Crucible’ was performed, Miller was very disappointed with the criticism wrote towards it. He felt “that not a single one had captured the real inner theme of the play” (Time Bends.) When he came to write ‘A View from the Bridge’ he decided that he needed to find a way of making the themes of the play more explicit and clear. This is why he decided to include Alfieri, whom he calls the engaged narrator.Stage directions refer not only to exits and entrances but to the light going down or coming up on characters i.e. Alfieri at his desk. As we switch from the extended bouts of action (flashbacks) to the interludes which allow Alfieri to comment, to move forward in time, and give brief indications of circumstantial detail, such as the source of the whisky Eddie brings home at the start of Act II.The play’s title is very interesting: it is about the world as seen from the shadow of Brooklyn Bridge between old Europe and the New World - and Alfieri’s commentary comes from that Bridge. We see him as the bridge between the two communities, the two main characters and the American laws and ethnic laws together. It may also suggest however, the connection between the middle 20th Century and today’s contemporary society. We see this through Millers characterisation of Rudolfo and Alfieri’s comment on page 49 when he states “and I see it happening more commonly” which may evoke Miller’s view and beliefs on the future society. Miller uses Alfieri nine times in the performance where his main roles are to: act to as a commentary, to explain the themes, to expand on the characters, to give background information about the time and place, to make sure the audience is clear about Miller’s message, to participate as a character in the action and to act as a dramatic device. His main function is to give general information to the audience and for them to reflect on their own life experiences as the performance progresses.The social context of this place is of a poor community as Alfieri describes it as “the slum that faces the bay seaward side of Brooklyn Bridge.” He comments on that the area “lacks elegance and glamour.” and uses phrases such as “the petty troubles of the poor.” We are also told in the introduction that it consists of tenement buildings which are considered to be old and overcrowded that were rented off the council. This as a result contributes to the image of this deprived area of being a place populated by citizens who lack money. It also implies, because the block of flats are small that everybody knows everyone, therefore, loyalty is very important. Alfieri states that Eddie is “a longshoreman working on the docks” ; a harbour labourer, employed by the day. This is hard manual labour which the audience will see as an occupation which only employed men who were desperate for money. In connection with this, Red Hook is also a place where crime takes place which also suggests poverty:Also Alfieri expands on the community and gives background information of Sicily. He gives the impression to the audience that family honour and respect are important with the Sicilian community and that there is a great distrust of the American law. Miller has underlined the significance of honour and justice by saying, ”Justice is very important here.” As an audience member you realise that this is potentially a key aspect of the play. It subtly creates apprehension about what will inevitably happen. Therefore, Miller has purposely used Alfieri in order to create dramatic irony here where the audience is in possession of more information than other characters on stage. This makes the audience more involved within the production and thus more interested which is the sole aim of all playwrights. Miller slowly engages the audience with Alfieri’s dramatic introduction and makes them feel anxious. Alfieri is a dramatic device in this scene because he heightens the tragedy and the theme of fate (even though he is powerless to prevent the tragic outcome) which creates tension and suspense because the audience anticipate to know what will occur in the subsequent scenes.When Eddie visits Alfieri for a second time we see Alfieri participating as a character again. Before this brief scene starts, the audience know everything: Alfieri’s powerlessness, Eddie’s destiny and the unreality of the whole story. The impact of this scene depends on all that has gone before, so the telephone calls becomes an inevitable consequence. It also depends on the actor playing Eddie because he must be required to convey a driven intensity from Alfieri’s description so the audience can clearly see the points of action within the scene. Through Alfieri, the themes of justice and the law are employed in the duologue as he emphasises that the law has not been broken. He explains these themes by giving extra information about the different communities and by exploring their different cultural perceptions. Eddie must accept the situation as it is and let fate take its course and if he does not, Alfieri insists, then he will become the tragic hero. He questions momentarily, but we know that the law has nothing to offer EddieThe events in this scene are fated as Alfieri knows why he waited so long at the office. He is unable to break the grip of fate: ”almost transfixed” and “had lost my strength.” He recognises the terrible change that has come over Eddie and the emptiness of his spirit. He knows, because of the inevitability of the tragedy that is about to happen, that he should do something to prevent it but he feels powerless to do so. The unavoidability of the tragedy is expressed in the feeling that he wants to call the police, although nothing has happened. The lighting techniques are very cleverly used by Miller as a theatrical device to show Alfieri’s role. The white lights “go down, as they rise on Alfieri” whereas, on the other side of the stage “a phone booth begins to glow…a faint, lonely blue” which contrasts largely with the colour white. It glows brighter and brighter, signalling Eddie's idea, then determination and temptation, to call the immigration officials. This shows the idea of tragedy as Eddie is poised between them where symbolism is used to suggest the difference in heaven (white which is associated with angels but may suggest rightness and therefore the theme of the law) and hell. This highlights Alfieri’s function that he is there not to only retell the story with an unbiased viewpoint but to show again that he cannot help in stopping the tragedy and that despise his position. It hints to the audience that he is a neutral character and a mediator, there only to help explain the themes of law and justice to Eddie.Alfieri is undoubtedly a vital device within the play. Without him, the audience would find it near impossible to comprehend the relevance and effect of the events which unfold; and would be unable to experience the catharsis that results from Eddie’s tragic death. He is successfully used to show the audience that the death of a poor lower-born is no less tragic than the death of an upper-class high born. There is no question that the role of Alfieri in ‘A View From The Bridge’ is essential to maintaining the play’s quality.
