Before Inspector Goole enters Mr Birling is giving Eric and Gerald a lecture about capitalism and how the world is developing. He refers to the Titanic being absolutely unsinkable and a war never starting. Priestley has used dramatic irony here, as we, the audience, know that the Titanic sank and there have been two world wars. The play was written in 1945 but set in 1912, dramatic irony has been used to build up dramatic tension because we, the audience, start to think that if Mr Birling is wrong about the Titanic than maybe he’s going to be wrong about other things within the play. Mr Birlings’ speeches, before the Inspector arrives, tell us that he is a very optimistic character as he is confident and thinks he knows what the future is going to be like, even though we know he is completely wrong.
Mr Birling says ‘A man has to mind his own business and look after his own’, as soon as he says that the doorbell rings. This builds up dramatic tension, as the audience does not know who is at the door and if it has anything to do with what Mr Birling has just said.
Inspector Gooles’ entrance allows the play to progress because when Mr Birling finds out that the Inspector is not there because of a warrant he pauses and gets impatient. This makes the audience think and wonder why the Inspector could be there, is it for a good reason or a bad reason? The play changes with the Inspectors’ entrance because first the Birlings and Gerald are happily celebrating the engagement but than when the Inspector arrives everyone changes their mood. They want to create a good impression on the Inspector therefore act in a good manor and stop the joking around.
My second exit is Sheilas’ exit after recognizing the photograph of Eva Smith in Act 1. When the Inspector shows Shelia the photograph ‘she looks at it closely, recognizes it with a little cry, gives half-stifled sob’, this again allows the play to progress even more because we, the audience, now get the feeling that Sheila knew Eva Smith and may even have had something to do with her death, just like her father did.
After the Inspector puts the photograph back ‘the other three stare in amazement for a moment.’ These three characters gestures and looks create dramatic tension because they show the characters on stage are just as surprised as the audience who also do not have the slightest idea how Sheila is connected to Eva.
Before Sheila is shown the photograph the Inspector is questioning Mr Birling, who wants to go into a quite corner to discuss Eva Smiths’ death but Sheila cuts in and says ‘Why should you? He’s finished with you. He says it’s one of us now.’ What Sheila says connects to her exit because she acts as if she has nothing to do with the incident. She does not realise she does until the Inspector mentions Milwards. Dramatic tension is than built up even more when Shelia asks ‘What-what did the girl look like?’ When she asks this we, the audience, feel that she is starting to panic and could possible know who Eva Smith was.
When the Inspector is about to show Sheila the photograph, ‘He moves nearer a light-perhaps standard lamp.’ This alters the atmosphere because the characters on stage as well as the audience are just focusing on the little bit of light coming from the lamp. This builds up dramatic tension as we, the audience, are trying to see Sheilas reaction but find it challenging due to there being only a certain amount of light on the stage where she is.
Sheila recognizes the photograph ‘and than runs out.’ This exit has an effect upon the audience because we first got the feeling that Sheila may have known Eva Smith but now we definitely know Sheila knew Eva as she recognized her. Due to the audience knowing that Sheila recognized the photograph, we start questioning ourselves how did she know her and could she have anything to do with her death?
The way Sheila reacts to the photograph and exits reveals that she feels guilty and perhaps even shocked, as before when the Inspector was questioning Mr Birling, Sheila seemed to come across as confident as well as sympathetic. Sheilas’ exit also reveals she is hiding something to do with Eva Smith, as she didn’t just walk out, she ran out.
My final exit is Inspector Gooles’ exit towards the end of the play in Act 3. The Inspector ‘walks straight out, leaving them staring, subdued and wondering.’ This alters the atmosphere because the Inspector has made the Birlings confess to things they did not even know they had done that affected another person and than he just walked out leaving them puzzled. As the characters are left confused the atmosphere turns into tension due to each character having different feelings towards another character from what has been revealed thanks to the Inspector. This also effects the audience because we start wondering if it was the same girl and who was to blame for Evas’ death the most.
Before the Inspector exits he makes the Birlings feel guilty by giving them a speech on how nothing can make up for what they have done and how there are many other people out there just like Eva Smith. The Inspector says ‘We are responsible for each other.’ This connects to the Inspectors exit because he has proved Mr Birling wrong as he refers to a man looking after his own. The Inspector leaves and Mr Birling ‘proves himself out a drink, which he hastily swallows.’ This suggests that Mr Birling is unhappy and angry because of the Inspectors speech, as a man like Mr Birling has high expectations and it does not look good that an outsider taught him that he was wrong.
The Inspectors’ exit reveals that Sheila and Eric feel guilty about their actions towards Eva Smith. This is shown as Sheila says ‘But now you’re beginning all over again to pretend that nothing much has happened-‘, and Eric says ‘But don’t forget I’m ashamed of you as well- yes both of you.’ These quotes show that both Eric and Sheila cannot forget about what happened and that they feel everyone is as bad as each other and to blame.
Mr Birling is worried about his reputation rather than his actions as he refers to there being a public scandal and him suffering the most. This shows that Mr Birling is not really bothered about what he did but more concerned about what other people will think.
Mrs Birling is more ashamed of her son than what she did as she says ‘Eric, I’m absolutely ashamed of you.’ This shows that Mrs Birling is a character who would not blame herself but looks for someone else to blame.
The Inspectors’ exit allows the play to progress because he has caused tension as well as friction between the Birlings therefore we, the audience, want to find out how they will react towards one another and what will happen next.
The play changes due to the Inspectors’ exit as at the beginning of the play the Birlings seemed to be a typical happy family but now each member of the family has revealed something new. This also creates dramatic tension because once the Inspector has left no one knows what will happen so everyone is waiting in suspense to find out.
The Inspectors’ exit has an effect upon the audience because we are left waiting and wondering whether the Birlings will go back to normal and act as if nothing happened. The effect is mainly suspense as first the Inspector comes, than makes the Birlings and Gerald confess and than leaves after causing tension between the Birlings. We, the audience, are thinking and trying to figure out what will happen next.
Overall I think that the entrances and exits in ‘An Inspector Calls’ are to unbelievable and predictable because they are all to perfectly timed according to what has just been said. For example when Mrs Birling does not believe that Eric could do such a thing Eric walks in at that exact moment, this is all to much of a coincidence. However the entrance still creates dramatic tension. The entrances and exits are predictable due to Priestley using unity of time, when the play takes place in ‘real time’, unity of place, the Birlings’ dining room throughout the play and unity of action, there is one plot where every action and dialogue relates to one story line.
The way Priestley has used entrances and exits as a device to increase dramatic tension in the play is interesting because it created suspense due to the audience not knowing what will happen next.
