The scene starts with the family having dinner. The atmosphere at the start of the scene is calm and friendly; the characters are discussing what Rodolfo and Marco’s life was like back in Italy. Eddie, however, is argumentative and does not like Rodolfo’s presence. For example, Eddie says, ‘(resenting his instruction) I know lemons are green, for Christ’s sake.’ Indicating to us, the audience, no matter what Rodolfo says he, Eddie, is always right.
Eddie trusts the conversation to show his real feelings about Rodolfo. For example, ‘it ain’t so free here either, Rodolfo like you think’. With this statement we, the audience, can almost see that Eddie is looking for a fight.
As the story continues, we see a number of challenges towards Eddie’s authority. The first challenge comes from Marco, ‘No Beatrice, if he does wrong, you must tell him.’ (To Eddie) ‘What does he do wrong?’ Here Marco defends his brother. This creates tension because this is unexpected. Before, Eddie has seen Marco as a friend. This makes Eddie even more frustrated and angry.
Throughout the scene, Beatrice plays the role of the peacemaker. The first indication of this is when she changes the topic, ‘diverting their attention’. But even then,
Beatrice challenges Eddie’s authority in front of everyone, ‘well tell him honey, (to Eddie), the movie ended late.’ This is offensive to Eddie as he expects support from his wife.
Catherine, too, defies Eddie as we, the audience, have seen her loyalty gradually shift from Eddie to Rodolfo by her dancing with Rodolfo, ‘You wanna dance Rodolfo?’ This makes Eddie irritated as he is humiliated by his own niece, who he has brought up as his own daughter. This also heightens tension and makes Eddie full of rage.
Quite a significant part of the play revolves around masculinity, or homosexuality, which is regarded by Eddie in particular as being the absence of masculinity. This creates tension as Eddie believes himself to be a real man, and part of this is by questioning the masculinity of anyone he feels is a threat to him.
By now, Eddie has had enough. He openly suggests that Rodolfo is homosexual. For example, “I can’t cook, I can’t sing, I can’t make dresses, so I’m, on the waterfront. But if I could….. I wouldn’t be on the waterfront. I would be some place else. I would be in a dress store.’ Eddie’s physical actions also show the build up of tension: at first he ‘paces up and down’, rolls up a piece of newspaper, ‘pulls his pants over his belly and goes to Marco.’
Having been challenged by all of them, there is an angry atmosphere, and it is now that Eddie suggests boxing. Arthur Miller contrasts dancing with boxing to show the differences between Rodolfo and Eddie. This creates tension because it is showing to us, the audience, what two different people they are and how opposites do not attract. By Eddie asking Rodolfo to box, we, the audience, expect something terrible to happen because firstly the flat is small and claustrophobic, and secondly we know Eddie dislikes Rodolfo, so Eddie will show his true feelings towards Rodolfo, which helps build tension.
Eddie is determined to be a real man; this determination sets off the boxing scene. He believes that he is a real man by questioning the masculinity of anyone he feels is a threat to him. Rodolfo has to be a homosexual as far as Eddie is concerned, partly because of his appearance (the bleached blonde hair) but also because of the things he does. This creates tension as in reality, Rodolfo’s sexuality is left unclear in the actual text, but it is possible that Eddie challenges it so much, simply because of his jealousy with Catherine.
The boxing moves from mucking about to getting serious. Eddie is ‘weirdly elated’. To create tension, Miller makes Catherine rush to Rodolfo which makes Eddie feel as if he has no one behind him. Also from the boxing scene we, the audience, see the rivalry between the two men which is then emphasised and the tension is raised. At the end of the boxing scene, Rodolfo gets hit badly and once again, Marco comes to his need, ‘Eddie feints with his left hand and lands with his right, it mildly staggers Rodolfo. Marco rises’.
Arthur Miller makes the final action of the scene the most dramatic as Marco, who is silently watching shows Eddie the danger he is inviting by threatening Rodolfo. Marco does not say anything, so it is just the gesture which is as effective as the audience sees the chair, ‘raised like a weapon’ over Eddie’s head, symbolising the destruction he will shortly bring on himself.
Marco is challenging Eddie to a kind of test just as Eddie, himself, challenged Rodolfo. Marco’s test is a kind of silent warning to Eddie and is particularly dramatic because Marco is normally a quiet, self-contained and restrained figure and his action signals, and foreshadows violence. He has exposed to his own strength and the silent action fills the audience with foreboding as we realise that Eddie has gone too far.
We, the audience, are made more aware of the power of family loyalty and also of the potential for passion that is involved in these relationships.
The scene ends on a climax of physical tension. This creates anticipation for the audience. As Act II begins, we find another contrast in the atmosphere as the light goes up on Alfieri. After the immediate passionate and confused actions and words of the previous scene, we now have the opportunity to reflect on the implications of what is happening. We, the audience have been involved as spectators and now we are challenged to make judgement. Eddie appeals to our hearts and emotions but now we are invited by Alfieri to judge with our heads.
