A View from the Bridge' is a well structured play with a simple shape.
'A View from the Bridge' is a well structured play with a simple shape. It consists of two Acts but within these there are a number of easily defined divisions which are controlled by the lawyer, Alfieri. He is essential to the structure of the play. He opens and closes the play which allows Alfieri in his role as chorus, commentator and at other times we see him as Arthur Millers mouthpiece moving the action quickly onwards explaining and interpreting the action for the audience.
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.) The end of Act I prepares the audience for the important events that will take place later on. The closing scene in Act I is set in the living room, to add to the feeling that this is a domestic situation. It also adds plausibility to the scene: the setting making it seem more believable and realistic. This scene is paralleled in Act II as Marco is over him but this time mentally not physically (holding the chair over Eddie) which creates tension and pathos, evoking strong feelings of pity and sorrow within the audience.
All the action revolves around Eddie Carbone who controls the drama. When he is calm and friendly, the atmosphere is likewise. When he is tense and hostile the atmosphere is uncomfortable. We can signify this in Act I, part three where his mood darkens:
"But I know what they're laughin' at, and when I think of that guy layin' his hands on her I could - I mean its eating me out." Eddie's frustration is embodied in these lines, thus darkening the mood. Also, there are various flashbacks in the two Acts which mirror one another in different ways. The controlled hostility at the end of Act I (when Eddie shows Rudolfo how to box and Marco indirectly challenges Eddie) is developed into unpleasant tension at the beginning of Act II when Eddie kisses Catherine and Rudolfo. The final explosive violence at the end of the drama is justified when we consider what has gone before. Also, flashbacks are very important in the play because it complements Alfieri's choric function and creates suspense and tension.
When we analyse the structure of the play closely we notice that throughout Act I dates and times are approximate but in the second Act during Alfieri's speech's or his participating parts this is different: "on December 27th", "just after 6 o'clock", Eddie visits him and rings The Bureau. Unlike Act I, in Act II Alfieri has the audience metaphorically in suspense as the action speeds up. In the first Act we are told the time, but not the date of the Immigrants' arrival, and the argument after the visit to the Paramount Pictures takes place "a couple of weeks later" which therefore holds them in more suspense whereas Act II gives specific detail and precise dating and this is done in order to inform the audience that the tragic outcome is near.
'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 -it's 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. The telephone booth in which is used in Act II, part one gives this effect as it shows the balance of good and evil. This gives the audience insight to the theme of tragedy as Eddie is in the centre fighting the temptation of betraying Rodolfo's and Marco's true identity.
However some critics see 'A View from the bridge' as a melodrama because of its violent ending. Miller has characterized his writing which relies on sensational happenings, violent action and improbable happenings. Matthew Conordin, a popular cloumnist for 'Los Angeles Times' commented on the performance (1963 Washington-Queens Theatre) as being 'a productive, melodramatic performance...successful in its aims.'
Miller originally saw this play as being modelled 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 ...
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Miller originally saw this play as being modelled 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 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.
Alfieri acts as a foil in the play because his education, wealth and prosperity makes obvious the informal, conversational dialogue and struggle of the longshoremen. Foil is a dramatic technique purposely used by a dramatist where a character's behaviour and values contrast with those of another character in order to "highlight the distinctive temperament of that individual" (Penguin Dictionary.) He uses very poetic, eloquent speech and a formal, controlled dialogue, which segregates him from the general characters in the play such as the protagonist, Eddie who Miller forces to use very direct and blunt wording because of their unlearned tongue. Eddie and the community are unsophisticated and there language betray a colloquialism that is powerful but often hides more than it reveals.
It is apparent to the audience that this difference between the ways in which the characters speak also affects the way they display their emotions and convey powerful thought. Through being an educated man Alfieri is able to delicately and subtly put his point across to a character: "To promise not to kill, is not dishonourable." Apart from displaying Alfieri's intelligence it also gives his words a scale of importance. For example when he uses words that have just flown from his mind he employs delicate similes and clever turns of phrase that he is infamous for, however when he is forcing a point that has been repeated continuously in his mind he is much more forceful and blunt. It is then that his language becomes similar to the other characters in the play and Miller uses this to add climax and an importance to his events. Alfieri acts, therefore, more than a character than a Greek chorus which adds to the tension. He is able to do this because the psychology behind this is that when you are so desperate and urgent that the recipient should understand and believe in what you are saying, it is automatic that you say it in the simplest form possible, so that there is no chance it is not understood.
The language of Alfieri is meditative and helps the audience to think about the issues which Miller feels are important. His leisurely style draws the audience into his story and helps to maintain a relationship with them throughout the play. In his opening lines he uses the pronoun 'you' to indicate that he is talking directly to us. The use of the second person also shows that he is the link between the audience and the characters which also gives us the ability to trust him. This is because much of his commentary is fact and so we are forced to believe the part which is opinion.
In connection with this, we also trust Alfieri because he is professionally detached as a lawyer which implies that he will give an unbiased viewpoint on the situation and will be a good judge of character and to be rational: this helps him to gain the audience's trust. However as the play progresses he gets emotionally involved he becomes not quite detached anymore meaning that his opinions may become biased. He helps the situation by having a lack of interludes towards the end so that he won't sway the audiences opinions on the situation once he has become involved. We also trust Alfieri because of the way he is presented to the audience. We are told that he is "turning grey, smartly dressed" and so therefore (if the production shows him in a suit) we are lead to belief him due to the contrast in clothes of the other characters. We see that his appearance commands respect and that his age ("a layer in his fifties") gives us more evidence of his reliability and honesty. This is because it is known to 'trust the elderly' as they have more experience - as Alfieri does, and to 'respect your elders' and as he is in this position the audience feel right when listening to him.
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.
As his opening speech beings Alfieri directly relates the audience to the drama by telling them "something amusing has happened", this allows the audience to listen to Alfieri more as they now know that it is his past that he is describing to them.
Occasionally there is a huge sweep to the language used by Alfieri particularly at the beginning of Act I when he says:
"...every few years there is still a case, and as the parties tell me what the trouble is, the flat air in my office suddenly washes in with green scent of the sea" (Act I, page 12) and he goes to link this case with another in Italy and Greece two thousand years before and therefore Miller is using reference as in the same way as he adapted their methods: "Every word was done in the same way the Greeks did." (Time Bends) i.e. he uses a chorus used by authors in Greece 2000 years ago. We feel that there is a timeless quality about this story because of this paragraph: The struggle for justice, in his opinion, was observed by a lawyer two years ago. We are drawn to this point when he comments that "there lies three thousand years of distrust." Also by using colourful locations e.g. 'Calabria' and 'Syracuse' he gives the scene an important and relevance that indicates that the events are timeless that have no respecters or boundaries.
He tells the audience that his practice is "entirely unromantic, "that his clients are prepared to "settle for half," but the words "and yet..." in the final paragraph prepare us for something different. In a deliberately awkward and twisted sentence he invokes the past to tell us that the story will be tragic-and then introduces Eddie and so expands on the characters of the performance. He immediately creates the atmosphere - the atmosphere of Red Hook where crime was once set into the very fabric of the neighbourhood. Red Hook is the slum area in New York in which the play is set.
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:
"Frankie Yale himself was cut precisely by a machine gun on the corner of Union street, two blocks away. Oh, there were many here who were justly shot by unjust men" which is a result of the different views on justice and the law of America and Sicily. Alfieri tells the audience about the importance of justice but, he says, justice is often administrated outside rather than inside the law in this particular community. Al Capone, Frankie Yale and Caesar are all present in his comments which signify that the present case he is about to handle may not be very different from many of the "bloody course[s]" (page 12) that have occurred throughout history. This area is dominated by different communities where it is very important to fully support that community and by no means betray their cultural beliefs and values. With this, if one community is betrayed by another member or different community then "justice is very important". Herewith, Alfieri means that revenge on others is significant and this fits in with their cultural values as the communities are made up mostly of Sicilian members where in their homeland seeking revenge and justice is important. He is also stating that the conflict, like all the others is beyond the power of anybody to stop it. Miller instantly begins to associate him with trouble when Alfieri explains, "We're only thought of in connection with disasters."
Also he expands on the community and gives background information of Sicily. He gives the impression 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.
Finally, Alfieri concludes his introduction by saying, "and I sat there as powerless as I, and watched it run its bloody course," which makes the audience expect a tragic outcome to be resolved in blood. This specific phrase, together with "bloody course" shows that Alfieri is predicting the play which indicates his importance in it as a narrator. The audience shares this perspective which heightens their sympathy for the other characters of the play as their story is told in what is in a series of flashbacks. Despite Alfieri's help however, the events that follow are inevitable and significant of the characters' homeland, Italy. Here therefore throughout Alfieri's introduction there is a sense of theatrical tension.
In his second appearance on page 15 he tells the audience that time has passed. He also, in three sentences, gives an ominous edge to this meeting. Miller uses him to give warning to the audience of the problems ahead, "after they ate, the cousins came," and to link the two different scenes together, therefore to provide a structural function.
He expands on the character of Eddie and gives more description to his working life. Moreover he explains the themes of manliness and the family values of the community as Eddie "bought home his pay" which was considered of a typical male in post-war America.
Alfieri's speech, both vocabulary and sentence construction, is almost biblical to its simplicity. His language is similar to that of the bible (e.g. John 12:1-3) as both use large sentences which give heavy detail in place and time:
Alfieri -"He worked on the piers when there was work, he brought home his pay, and he lived," and John - "six days after, he went to Bethany, served her food and left." The word "And" to start a sentence in 'A view from the Bridge' is also comparable because the Bible contains many sentences in this same style which begin with connectives such as 'but' and 'then.' Here therefore, Miller uses Alfieri's speech so the audience can believe and trust him as a moral standard making them more engaged within the story.
Miller purposely uses Alfieri as a mouthpiece in order to voice his themes of justice, the law and fate. Throughout the play there is an emphasis on impartiality, but as Alfieri tells us there is a price to pay for total justice -a price that most people, most of the time, are not prepared to pay e.g. death and prison sentences. This is why the majority of the audience feel that if people always abide by the law then they will have to "settle for half" (Act II, page 63.) Miller here seems to be saying that the law is incapable to satisfying everyone therefore different cultures and societies must compromise and adapt to each others' values in order to prevent the path of tragedy. He portrays this through Alfieri in the epitaph and the separate scenes involving Eddie and Marco by suggesting that extremes are dangerous. Miller evokes the theme of compromising and how cultures must adjust to that of others. He uses Alfieri to complement his viewpoint as he explains that he "no longer has to keep a pistle in his cupboard" which suggests that if different communities are tolerant there will be less conflict and tension.
The audience are left when the performance is complete of viewing and forming an opinion on their own community and how the story is still relevant in today's modern society. For example, terrorism and discrimination against others can be avoided through tolerance and cooperation which connects closely with the performance. The 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centres in 2001 was a result of conflict between the Middle East and the Modern World; where both cultures were in disagreement on the opposing communities beliefs and values. The terrorists were willing to pay the 'ultimate price' in achieving their aim as they were devoted to what they believed in. We can relate this with 'A view from the Bridge' as Eddie "want[ed] his name" (Act II page 62) and must therefore fall upon the tragedy to do so.
Also extreme, hidden emotions can lead to controversy as in the play Eddie dismisses the idea of "too much love" for Catherine when Alfieri fails to hint the theme of paternalism. This links to contemporary society because it contributes to war and confrontation. The Vietnam War was the consequence of lack of communication and so the more powerful, dominant country - America lost the war which can connect with 'A view from the Bridge' through manliness: that Rodolfo turned out, in a way, to be more masculine than Eddie as they did not communicate. To outline, Miller's intention when writing the play was to show that it has happened throughout history and that it will continue to do so. This is probably the reason why critics in the 1940's and 50's called him a "forward dramatist."
I agree with Arthur Miller's message and believe that the law cannot satisfy everybody needs which causes people to use natural justice instead that of the statute book. I also agree with his message of fate because someone or something must control and 'map-out' our existence. Our lives experience many coincidences through a series of events which we are powerless to stop. I feel that If one believes in their culture so much the result or consequence is destined to happen.
To conclude Miller uses Alfieri, to explain the themes of justice, the law, loyalty and tragedy; to ensure the audiences understanding and their enjoyment of the play, and to act as a dramatic device which are seen as his role within the 'A View from the Bridge.' Arthur Miller has not drawn Alfieri as a 'full' character even though there are times when we sympathize for his predicament of being powerless to stop the events in the tragedy. Alfieri's role is to oversee the action and remains objective throughout. The audience can see, at the end of the play, that Alfieri does have sympathy for Eddie and even soon admiration for him because "he has allowed himself to be wholly known." And there finally, we have Alfieri's most important role. He offers the audience universal concepts to think about as they leave the theatre.
