Preistley also uses dramatic irony to ridicule Birlings speeches on the titanic "unsinkable,
totally unsinkable" this produces a differetn meaning of the audience than of the immediate
listeners. this could also be seen as a metaphor of Birlings own family and prestigous
position, which he apparently sees as "unsinkable".
Timing is another, critical dramatic device used by Preistley, for instance the entrance of
the inspector is at a time when Birling is giving a rather pompuous, self inflated speech on
how "a man has to look after himself and his own". This is in contrast with the inspector speech towards the end of the play "we are members of one body, we are responsible
for each other". This gives the audience a hint that the inspector already knew what had been said before his arrival.
When the news of Evas death is announced the lighting which is said to be "rosy and intimate"
in the beginning of the play goes "harsh and bright", this change in lighting is used to show the
audience thatn the families lies can no longer stay hidden beneath the "warm tinted glow" and the truth must be revealed. The lighting also reflects the mood of the play, therfore creating a
dramatic effect.
In th beginning of act one Sheila complains that Gerald stayed away from her all of last summer. "yes - except for last summer when you never came near me, and i wondered, what
had happened to you". This shows indicates that unpleasantness may lurk beneath the surface of the Birlings so called happy family life. This creates tension, as the audience
becomes curious to know know why gerald was absent for so long.
Preistley ends act one with a cliffhanger, "and i hate to think how much more he knows that we dont know yet, you'll see, you'll see, Inspector: well?, this ending builds tension and gives
the audience time to respond to what has just happened. It is also used to help put more blame on the Birling family, by leaving them no time to explain a reason for their association
with Eva Smith. Also the term "well?" creates tension and anticipation as it gives the audience
a clue that the inspector is just after a confession and he already knows what has just been said.
J.B Preistley uses a great range of effective dramatic devices on act one of an inspector calls including,stage setting, timing, lighting, sound effects, and dramatic irony, therefore creating tension in their minds of the audience.
Throughout this coursework coursework assignment i have dicussed the dramatic devices used by J.B Preistley in act one of an inspector calls and have said how effective i think the
dramatic devices are.