After this, when Marco and Rodolpho arrive, more tension is created, this time between Eddie and Rodolpho. This is because Catherine is obviously attracted to Rodolpho, and due to this, Eddie becomes very jealous of Rodolpho.Eddie does not like Rodolpho’s rendition of “Paper Doll”, due to the fact that he thinks Rodolpho is stealing her away from him. Minutes after this, Eddie begins to direct the majority of his attention towards Marco rather than Rodolpho to show that he does not really respect him much. Eddie and Beatrice argue about Rodolpho's singing. Eddie suggests that Rodolpho may be gay becasue he sings, whilst Beatrice maintains that his singing may be considered normal in his homeland of Italy. After she says this, Eddie mentions the fact that Marco does not sing at all.
When Beatrice says to Eddie, “When am I gonna be a wife again?” This line is used to make a point of Eddie’s very strong desire for Catherine. When Catherine and Rodolpho return from their date, Eddie insists on talking to Catherine by herself. He warns her that Rodolpho is only being nice to her so that he can get a passport and become a legal immigrant. More tension is built between Catherine and Eddie as a result of this, and as a result, Eddie leaves Catherine with Beatrice to “Straighten her out”. This happens, but in a different way to what Eddie would have preferred, as Beatrice advises Catherine to become more independent, which is not what Eddie wants. As a result, more tension between the main characters is created because of the fact that Catherine is not acting to Eddie’s will.
Mike and Louis share the idea with Eddie regarding Rodolpho’s effeminate personality, but they do not agree with Eddie’s thought of him being “Funny”. At this point in the play the variety of characters, as well as their movement, helps the tension show between the characters. In the scene that takes place in Alfieri the lawyer’s office, which is neutral territory, Eddie seems less at ease. He explains his situation to Alfieri, who in turn suggests that Eddie is being unreasonable. Then he mentions that even though Catherine may want to marry Rodolpho, she can’t. This may release some tension within Eddie, as he may feel that he could get closer to her again.
At the climax of Act One, the tension has built up to a huge level, especially between Eddie and Marco. It reaches the level of physical violence and aggression after Eddie witnesses Rodolpho and Catherine dancing and then decides to give Rodolpho “Boxing lessons” to avert Catherine’s attention. In the final part of act one, where Marco shows his strength to Eddie by lifting the chair with one hand, there is a lot of tension between Marco and Eddie. This is partly due to Miller’s description of the amount of effort that Eddie puts into lifting the chair, with him lifting it above his head “Like a weapon”, symbolizing Rodolpho’s punishment, and how easy Marco makes it look while at the same time humiliating Eddie. This, in a way neutralizes the only method Eddie can use against Rodolpho (Violence). This section shifts the tension from Eddie and Rodolpho to Eddie and Marco.
The whole ending to Act One is choreographed by Miller in such a way as to show Marco plays a bigger part than thought at first.Miller’s language during the whole act makes good use of metaphor and descriptive techniques as well as stage directions “[During the part where Eddie is teaching Rodolpho to box] He [Eddie] feints with his left hand and lands with his right. It mildly staggers Rodolpho. Marco rises.”To bui ld tension between the cast, and makes the play very tense and suspense-filled
By Amesh Elango 11G
