An inspector calls is set in entirely one room. How does priestley create and maintain tension throughout the play?

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An inspector calls is set in entirely one room. How does priestley create and maintain tension throughout the play?

In this essay I’m going to explain how the writer priestly creates tension during the play. This essay will also explore different dramatic devices for example juxtaposition, plot, subtext, dramatic irony, setting, Lighting & Props, Exits and entrances & stage directions to explore how these create tension.

Priestly uses lighting to create and maintain tension throughout the play for example he writes ‘lighting should be pink and intimate’. The use of the words ‘pink & intimate’ tells us that the mood in the room is calm and positive. Also by using the choice of colour ‘pink’ it makes the room feel like a dream world and everything is happy. This could be that the colour ‘’pink’’ seems that we are looking through ‘’rose coloured glasses’’ this suggests that it is far too over the top in its positivity, another meaning for the colour ‘pink’ is that it is very romantic and the imagery suggests things like roses this could make the audience feel that the couple are very much in love This is because they are celebrating Gerald & Shelia’s wedding proposal but that mood is soon shattered & starts to show the tension as soon as the inspector arrives. The words ‘brighter’ and ‘harder’ suggest danger and makes things more tough. The word ‘brighter’ suggests that its like a spotlight which is harsh & bright which is searching, this would make the audience feel pressured to answer the questions this also suggests the idea of the spotlight searching as if the inspector is looking for something. This therefore also emphasis the idea of police and it makes the birling family look and feel like criminals. In fact, a lot of this play puts a spotlight on the birlings and the audiences, making them question their own morals and their own actions.

Priestly also uses setting to create tension, for example we are told the birlings are living in a ‘fairly large suburban house’ which is however ‘not cosy and homelike’ this suggests that the scene did seem positive at the start but the ‘not cosy’ creates tension by suggesting that the family may live in a big house but they aren’t happy. And it almost suggests that the house is too big to be ‘cosy’. This is the dramatic device of juxtaposition by putting the ‘not cosy’ and ‘homelike’ together. Another way the dramatic device creates tension is when Priestley writes ‘heavily comfortable’ this shows tension because it might be suggesting that the house is too comfortable ‘’heavily’’ which could suggest that there house is too comfortable because it’s such a big house & could make the audience feel like they have intruded with the awkwardness going on. The other interpretation of this is that a ‘heavily’ comfortable house is simply very comfortable, but perhaps they are weighed down by all their wealth.

The writer uses the structure of the play to create tension I know this because in a early speech, the inspector states that a ‘young woman died’ the writer is setting up the murder mystery for the audience to figure out right from the first scene. This is also a harsh fact that a young woman is dead this could make the audience feel quite scared and shocked, this therefore creates tension. Priestly also uses the dramatic device of imagery by using the image of ‘strong disinfectant burnt her insides out of Course’ this creates a very horrible image for the audience but this could also make the audience feel sad and sorry for the young girl. Using the words ‘strong’ and ‘burnt’ make the scene much more serious this creates tension because the audience want to know why the inspector is here & why he is telling them this. Using the words ‘burnt’ & ‘strong’ most probably link to the kind of horrific imagery Priestley saw at war. This is why Priestley wrote this play to warn people that if we don’t care for each other this is what will happen to the rest of us. This might make the audience relate to the bad things that they have done in the past and make them feel bad.

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 Another good example of using structure to create tension is at the end of act one when Sheila & Gerald face the inspector: ‘the inspector appears looking steadily and searchingly at them’ Inspector: well?’. By using the words ‘steadily’ & ‘Searchingly’ it makes the inspector seem stern and that he is searching (just like before) for an answer almost like a spot light searching for an victim to answer all his questions. This could make the audience feel intimidated by the inspector and that they don’t want Shelia to incriminate Gerald. By using the questioning of ‘Well?’ the writer ...

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