An Inspector Calls- Explore Priestley's dramatic methods in the opening scene of the play (up to and including Edna's announcement of Inspector Goole) - How does Priestley shape the audience's expectations for the rest of the play?

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Coursework                                                                                            Mark Butcher

An Inspector Calls- Explore Priestley’s dramatic methods in the opening scene of the play (up to and including Edna’s announcement of Inspector Goole):

How does Priestley shape the audience’s expectations

for the rest of the play?

The opening scene of this play is very cleverly written by Priestley, it sets the scene for the rest of the play and drops subtle hints throughout of what may happen later on in the plot. We watch this play in hindsight, because it was shown for the first time in 1946, but was set in 1912, which is something to bare in mind while looking at dramatic techniques, such as irony. In this essay I’m going to explore Priestley’s dramatic methods in the opening scene of the play, right up to when Edna introduces Inspector Goole. I am going to try and see how Priestley shapes the audiences expectations for the rest of the play, and in particular reference to characterisation, plot and social/political themes. I will be trying to analyse the effects of dramatic devises and structures, I will be looking at the layers of meaning expressed in language, ideas and themes. I will try to reflect on the effects of character and action and discuss the social and historical context. By looking at all the dramatic methods used in the first scene I should be able to do this.

What the set is like determines the audience’s expectations for the rest of the play. We can look at the stage directions right at the start (and although the audience couldn’t see it in writing, they would still be able to see it on stage), because this helps us see what the family’s house is like at the start, and there fore give us an insight to what the world around the out side of the characters is like and their relationship with it. For example Priestley describes the house as ‘…not cosy and homelike...’ which shows that they would rather have a house which looks good on the outside, rather than one which is homelike and nice inside. Which is typical of Mr. Birling. It shows how they prefer to have an air of outward respectability showing us a lot about their personalities and it has an element of irony to it, they are trying to be respectable and keep out of trouble when they are later going to be questioned by an Inspector.

Another dramatic method used is the use of sound and lighting effects. The lighting throughout the play is a very strong way of telling what the mood at the time is like. Priestley uses it well when the Inspector has just arrived and Mr. Birling asks Edna if she would ‘...give us some more light.’ When this is said it has two meanings. One being let there be light on the stage, and the other being let the inspector enlighten us with what he has to say. Another example of how the lighting and the inspector arriving are linked is in the stage directions, just before the play; ‘The lighting should be pink and intimate until the Inspector arrives, and then it should be brighter and harder.’ The pink intimate light is seen as being a perfect family light showing happiness, and the brighter harder light is more interrogating. This again shows how Priestley makes the inspector seem tough, and he brings a more harsh light upon the peaceful family. Sound effects are not used extensively but when they are they are used they still give hints to what will happen in the play and how the audience should feel. At the end of the section that we are studying, when the inspector calls, the stage directions say ‘...the sharp ring of a doorbell…’ This gives you the feeling of cruelty where it says, “sharp” particularly, because this gives the idea of the inspector being harsh. The short ring that he gives shows that he doesn’t have a lot of time and he is there to do business and wants to get straight to the point. It gives him and air of being in charge and this is exactly the character, which Priestley is trying to portray in him. The bell, which is heard and disrupts Mr. Birling, is similar to that of the inspector who often interrupts Mr. Birling.

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Priestly helps the audience look forward into the rest of the play, by giving them ideas of what characters are like. And example is when the family is sitting around the dinning table celebrating and Sheila brings up the fact that Eric has drunk rather a lot and says, “You’re squiffy”; this is a hint about Eric’s drinking problem, which develops later into the play. His drinking problems play a big part in the plot of the play, and peoples opinions on him, as his drinking problems may of caused the death of Eva Smith. There fore the way ...

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