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GCSE: Arthur Miller

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  • Marked by Teachers essays 8
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  1. How does Eddie's behavior in "A view from the bridge" affect the female characters?

    Catherine repeatedly asks Eddie ?you like it?? when showing him her dress or hairstyle she wore for him. ?Almost in tears because he disapproves.? This clearly demonstrates how women in the play are so eager for the mans consent that it mentally affects them. In 1955 women?s roles were quite restricted which is why miller portrays females as attention seeking individuals who?s biggest worries where if the man of the house was pleased with their behavior and appearance.

    • Word count: 480

  2. Given that Eddie Carbone only ever explicitly expresses his passions and desires once in the play, how does Arthur Miller make them so memorable?

    While Mike and Louis reverently point out Marco?s physical strength when working at the docks, Rodolpho, ?that blond one,? is instead said to have ?a sense of humour.? This remark isn?t obviously pejorative, but Mike and Louis ?grin,? ?snicker,? and become ?hysterical? as they voice it. The discrepancy between their speech and behaviour points to an underlying and unspoken insinuation. Of course, ?a sense of humour? is a stand-in for what they see as Rodolpho?s difference compared to Marco. Marco conforms to their definition of masculinity: he is physically strong, and works quietly and diligently.

    • Word count: 700

  3. In his play All My Sons, Arthur Miller makes the moment of George Deevers arrival highly dramatic

    Chris insists that George ?won?t say anything now.? He intends to marry Ann and, more importantly, has systematically suppressed any doubts about his father?s innocence. Miller has George speak past him to Ann, ?you?re coming with me,? he says, and again, ?you?re coming with me.? This repetition in his dialogue conveys his tenacity and suggests that he?s unlikely to desist. His challenge to Chris is part of a larger challenge to the false reality in which the Keller?s have been living, a reality in which Joe is innocent.

    • Word count: 901

  4. How are Marco and Rodolpho initially presented in "A View From the Bridge"?

    After addressing Beatrice, the first thing that Marco tells Eddie is that when ? you (Eddie) say go, we will go?. Almost immediately after meeting the Carbone family Marco states that he will obey Eddies commands and in doing so establishes a hierarchy, in which Eddie is at the highest point. When asked about the condition of life in Italy Marco responds by saying it's ?bad?. Though on the surface this seems like a very basic description when taken into context it displays just how horrible conditions are there. Marco states that his eldest son is ?sick in the chest? and that if he had stayed ?they (the children)

    • Word count: 1155

  5. How are The Characters Presented at the start of "A View From The Bridge"?

    We?re only thought of in connection with disasters? foreshadowing the future events of the play. This idea is furthered when Alfieri says that he was ?powerless to stop it (Eddie?s tale)?. The word powerless implies that the events Alfieri is describing are fated to happen and are inevitable, another trope of tragedy. Additionally Alfieri states that many people were ?justly shot by unjust men? referring to the traditional Italian justice system which focussed heavily on honour and revenge. Unlike a conventional justice system this was ?enforced? by the community and the phrase Alfieri says is a comment on how people were being rightfully punished by others just as bad as them.

    • Word count: 1151

  6. How does Miller present Catherine growing up in "A View From the Bridge"?

    Her domestic role is further reinforced when Miller has her ?get [Eddie] a beer? an action intended for a wife rather than a daughter. Catherine's eagerness to please Eddie is further demonstrated when Miller has her ?turn for him?. This shows not only her eagerness but also her naivety, as without questioning his orders she willingly puts her body on display for him. Her naivety is further explored when she ?light[s]? Eddie's cigar for him. Lighting a man's cigar is seen as a romantic gesture, done between husband and wife, so the fact that Catherine fails to recognise the significance

    • Word count: 1212

  7. How does Miller present ideas about settling for half in the play?

    Furthermore, the illustration of ?gray? hair could be a blend between the ?black and white? US Law system, and so, through this, it is likely that Miller is trying to convey his own thoughts of the workings of the US Law System. However, Miller also criticises the Sicilian moral code, by portraying Marco?s downfall. Initially, the audience are told that Marco arrives to earn money to provide for his family. However, his belief in Italian Morals, and the belief that ?all the law is not in a book? results in him killing Eddie, and therefore, having no choice but to be deported back to Italy.

    • Word count: 922

  8. How does Miller present ideas about justice and the law in A View from the Bridge?

    This could possibly be used to suggest the way that the US Law system is out-of-date - by 50 years - and that it is becoming increasingly ineffectual. In addition, Alfieri himself states that ?the law is very specific?, which goes to show the way in which the law is not very effective and cannot solve many problems. This is further compounded upon by the way in which both Eddie and Marco come to the law, seeking for assistance, but neither of them get their way, although both are coming to the legal system for very different reasons.

    • Word count: 849

  9. How does Miller present ideas about reputation in A View from the Bridge?

    The fact that Eddie would receive this harsh a punishment, for simply abiding by the law shows how seriously reputation is taken in Sicilian morals, and how derogatory it is for someone?s reputation to be ruined. Eddie also is shown by Miller to be concerned about his reputation, because he states that ?Marco?s got my name?, and that ?he gonna give it back to me in front of this neighbourhood?. This goes to shows how, in a primarily Italian community, one?s reputation can have severe implications on how someone is treated within society.

    • Word count: 785

  10. What is the significance of Eddie in A View from the Bridge?

    In fact, Alfieri as a symbol of authorial intrusion is seen to describe Eddie as having ?eyes like tunnels?. This description could possibly portray Eddie as having ?tunnel vision?, and this could be used by Miller to portray Eddie?s closed-minded thinking and non-progressive views. In fact, this McCarthyist behaviour could very well be one of Eddie?s, as a tragic hero, fatal flaws, and the image of ?light at the end of the tunnel? could be metaphorically used to suggest that Eddie?s catharsis can only occur when this McCarthyist outlook is abandoned.

    • Word count: 1011

  11. What is the significance of Rodolpho in A View from the Bridge?

    As these characteristics are revealed, Rodolpho becomes more and more of a foil of the ?husky, overweight? Eddie and the ?regular slave? Marco. However, throughout the play, we learn that Rodolpho, although being perceived as ?ain't right? by Eddie, is in fact the character who achieve the most romantic and sexual success. Marco and Eddie, being stereotypically masculine characters, are seen as having less successful relationships, whereas the relationship between Rodolpho and Catherine is very intimate, as seen when Rodolpho says he is not hungry ?for anything to eat?, although he is thought by Eddie to be homeosexual.

    • Word count: 1017

  12. What is the significance of Marco in Millers A View from the Bridge ?

    However, when Eddie calls the police on Rodolpho and Marco, Marco?s whole persona changes. Because he is so heavily founded on the Italian Moral Code, he accuses Eddie of ?killing his children? and he ?spits? on him. Although that would not seem to be an especially major act, Marco sees it as an act of public shaming, and Eddie takes huge offense at it, due to their mutual belief in the Italian code of honour. Marco goes on to say how ?In my country he would be dead? and how ?all the law is not in book? as he attempts to apply the much more flexible Italian morality to a drastically different society, founded on the black-and-white American Law system.

    • Word count: 1135

  13. How does Miller initially present Rodolpho?

    even more by Catherine?s dramatic reaction to Rodolpho?s appearance, possibly indicating Rodolpho is the first blonde man she has seen, despite living in the overpopulated town of Red Hooke. Miller presents Rodolpho through the use of stage directions. Miller possibly compares Rodolpho?s feminine characteristic to Catherine?s when ?He [Rodolpho] helps B set out the coffee]?, compared to ?[Catherine] continues ladling out the plates?. In a patriarchal society, this behaviour was frowned upon, much to Eddie?s dismay. Miller could be using this comparison as prolepsis to when Eddie shouts ?He?s not right? later on in the play, with the quote symbolising Rodolpho?s feminine character.

    • Word count: 632
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Conclusion analysis

Good conclusions usually refer back to the question or title and address it directly - for example by using key words from the title.
How well do you think these conclusions address the title or question? Answering these questions should help you find out.

  1. Do they use key words from the title or question?
  2. Do they answer the question directly?
  3. Can you work out the question or title just by reading the conclusion?

  • "I have given you my soul; leave me my name!" John Proctor Act 4 'The Crucible.' Discuss the significance of this statement within the play and the wider political and historical contexts

    "In conclusion as John Proctor feels strongly about his reputation and moral status he still feels like he has admitted he has done wrong, as a lie, but would not take the full responsibility of losing his livelihood and pride. The wider political contexts are to do with McCarthyism and how America was affected during that time just as Salem was during its Witch Hunts. Arthur Miller refers back to facts and tries to involve many different aspects of Salem while comparing them to America."

  • Analyse how the audience might interpret miller's portrayal of masculinity in act one of "a view from the bridge"

    "In conclusion I would say that the audience could interpret Miller's portrayal of masculinity in many different ways, one being that Miller portrayed masculinity in this story in the form of Eddie Carbone. I believe Eddie carbone is meant to represent every man, he is ordinary, decent, hard working and charitable and these are features of masculinity which should be shown in every man but during the story Eddie begins to break down because of his views on masculinity, he has certain urges which he dose not know how to control and begins to show he is not as masculine as he seems this is the cause of dramatic tension in the play and proves my hypothesis to be correct that masculinity in this play is essential to cause dramatic tension and Arthur Miller has portrayed this very well."

  • Discuss the role played by the main characters in ‘The Crucible’ that lead to the events in Salem

    "Conclusion I have concluded from the play that the play is about human lust and characters have their weaknesses- everybody has faults. By Abigail's lust for Proctor leads Proctor to death and suspicion for Elizabeth. In the end the truth comes out and for this John Proctor has to pay for it. Some people's faults are worse than others. This human weakness can lead to tragedy as you can see in the play. All the events flow naturally from one event to the next. This is caused by the natures of the characters. The fact that the story isn't contrived an even more that it is based on a true story is interesting. If there is one thing that I learned in the play is that faults are exploited by nearly all the characters. These faults contradict the future of several key characters."

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