Eddie’s visit to Alfieri could be symbolic of the fact that there is nothing Eddie can legally do about Rodolfo’s relationship with Catherine. Near the end of the dispute, Miller shows Eddie and Alfieri to both repeat the phrases “nothing” and nothing you can do”. Exploring the theme of tragic inevitability creates tension because Eddie character is portrayed in a way that the audience knows he will eventually do something, but if it is not legal, then it is likely to be very dramatic, and, quite possibly violent. Moreover, the audience does not know when Eddie will take any course of action, which puts them in suspense throughout the entire play. Furthermore, during their long debate, Miller shows the audience many of the feelings that Eddie has for Rodolfo that he had previously not been able to express to anyone else. The first “reason” Eddie comes up with is that Rodolfo “ain’t right”, that “if you close the paper fast, you could blow him over,” and that “He’s a blond guy. Like... platinum.” These are all attempts to suggest that Rodolfo is homosexual. This would in turn give more credit to his argument about Rodolfo being after his papers, as if Rodolfo was homosexual, he would indeed not love Catherine. This in turn creates tension in two ways: it shows slight connotations of Eddie’s theories fitting together, but it also shows that Eddie is struggling to make what he says fit reality. At this point, the audience may feel pity for Eddie, as it is shown that nobody believes him or agrees with him.
Later on, he makes a subtle hint at this to the other characters when it is said that Rodolfo is a good cook. Marco is shown to say “[Rodolfo is a] very good cook. Rice, pasta, fish, everything.” Eddie then connects this to other things that Rodolfo is capable of; he is shown to say: “He sings, he cooks, he could make dresses…” These are all linked together by Eddie as qualities he feels men should not have, bringing up another crucial theme: masculinity. These may suggest that Eddie does not necessarily have anything against Catherine having boyfriend per say, but that Eddie wants her boyfriend to be able to protect her, and he does not believe that Rodolfo is capable of this. This creates tension because it may make the audience think that if Eddie is violent towards Rodolfo, then he will be unable to protect himself being a feminine character. This is important for two reasons. Firstly, Miller shows that Eddie may not want Rodolfo to be with Catherine because he feels that Rodolfo is not manly and masculine enough. Miller also shows Eddie to say that Rodolfo could be blown over by paper, and that his voice resembles that of a “her”. This may suggest that Eddie does have Catherine’s best interests in his mind, as he may feel that Rodolfo would not be able to look after or protect Catherine. This creates tension because up till now, it has been suggested that Eddie is only thinking about himself. Secondly, Eddie is shown to feel that he must maintain a high level of masculinity in order to keep authority in his household. He restricts any emotion that he might show; for example, he leaves when he feels Alfieri may see his emotion. This is shown by the stage directions: “He feels the threat of sobs, and with a helpless wave he goes out up the right ramp.” This creates tension because if Eddie wishes to hide his emotion from everybody, including the man who he is most comfortable discussing private issues with, then he will have no form of release, and all his anger and frustration will build until it is so unbearable that he may unleash it on other characters.
Tension is not only created by Eddie’s love for Catherine, but also by the fact that he either hides it or is just blind of it himself. Miller suggests that he may be blind of his feelings when he shows Alfieri to say “His eyes were like tunnels;” this may suggest that Eddie has “tunnel-vision” which would imply, for example, that he has a narrow line of sight, or that he cannot see clearly. It is ironic that Eddie later is shown to say that he can “see it in [Rodolfo’s] eyes; he’s laughing at her and he’s laughing at me”. This is ironic because just before this, Eddie’s eyes were in question but now he is shown to feel the need to question what he can see in Rodolfo’s. Moreover, Alfieri’s reference to the “passion that had moved into his body, like a stranger” could be symbolic of Marco and Rodolfo, the stranger moving into his house and messing with his mind, as though they have moved into it themselves. Blindness may also be implied later on when Alfieri is shown to say that Catherine “cannot marry you [Eddie], can she?” Eddie then blows up at Alfieri, and as the stage directions announce, Eddie is “furiously” shown to say: “What’re you talking about, marry me! I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about!” This may suggest that as he is angry at even the slightest suggestion that he may want a relationship with Catherine, he cannot see, or does not wish to admit his feelings, even though at this point, most characters are aware of them. The fact that the suggestion is met by the utmost of fury may suggest that Eddie’s reason is overtaken by his passion, even if he does not know it yet. Alternatively, Alfieri’s comments could also be met by fury because it reminds Eddie of his jealousy towards Rodolfo.
Tension is also created by Eddie’s deteriorating relationship with Marco. The climax of this act creates enormous amounts of tension via an exploration of the theme of masculinity. Eddie is shown to feel that his masculinity is put into question by Marco’s exclusive ability to lift the chair from the obscure angle. We can see from the stage directions that Eddie feels threatened by this, and his ego is wounded by it. Eddie’s “grin” is likely to be the remains of his attempted explanation as to why he could not lift the chair: “It’s on an angle, that’s why, heh?” This cover up may be an attempt to lighten the mood, or to take people’s eyes away from the fact that his strength has failed him, and he may think that if he views it as a joke, then the rest of the household will not take it very seriously either. However, we can see that Marco’s accomplishment eventually upsets Eddie, as even he, master of withholding emotions, cannot keep his disappointment at bay; Miller shows his “grin to vanish as he absorbs (Marco’s) look”. On one hand, this may suggest sadness, as his ego has been greatly affected. On the other hand, it could also be Eddie attempting to control his anger, as Marco has just given him an almost smug look of victory. This creates tension because Eddie will have to release his anger at some point, and the longer it takes him to do this, the more extreme the outcomes will be.
Furthermore, upon seeing that Rodolfo listens to Marco and does whatever he says, Eddie utilises him to make Rodolfo do his will. When the conversation about it “ain’t so free [in America] either” becomes personally directed towards Rodolfo, the stage directions show Eddie turning to Marco, and asking if Marco “know[s] what I [Eddie] mean[s]”. This may suggest that Eddie is trying to get some sort of approval from Marco for his attack on Rodolfo, or it also may suggest that he expects Marco to back him up and punish or be angry at Rodolfo as if Marco was in fact a parent figure to him. Marco is shown to say: “If he does wrong you must tell him. [To Eddie] What does he do wrong?” and he is shown to tell Rodolfo that he must “Come home early now”; in fact, he says this twice. This emphasizes the parental role that Marco plays towards Rodolfo, and it is slightly ironic because it shows him and Eddie to be similar; they both have family members who they are not the parents of, but they still attempt to control and act as a father figure towards that family member. This creates tension because it shows connotations of there being two people against the love affair between Rodolfo and Catherine. Moreover, it could also be an attempt by Marco to stay on Eddie’s good side, as he is letting them stay with him.
The relationship between Catherine and Rodolfo causes tension between the characters, and this is easily seen by the audience. They seem to almost taunt Eddie with it, and the audience can tell that this will lead to Eddie’s downfall. This is particularly blatant right after Eddie’s confrontation with Rodolfo regarding him taking Catherine home late. Rodolfo is shown to turn down Catherine’s proposal to dance as a mark of respect for Eddie, and the stage directions prove this by saying that it is “deference to Eddie”. However, his attempts are to no avail as he is greatly pressured by Catherine and by Beatrice, who also wishes to show Eddie up at this time. Catherine is shown to say: “Come on.” and Beatrice is shown to say: “Go ahead, dance.” in approval. These create tension because it shows connotations of the fact that nobody agrees with Eddie, and this will upset him greatly, especially because his own wife has turned against him. Stage directions create tension for the audience in the next section as Eddie “has been unconsciously twisting the newspaper into a tight roll.” This creates tension because he is so preoccupied with Rodolfo that he is unaware of what he is doing, as is suggested by the term “unconsciously”. This short section climaxes quickly, as one line of dialogue later, the stage directions say: “He has bent the rolled paper and it suddenly tears into two.” This creates tension because the audience may think that Eddie is pretending the newspaper is a limb of Rodolfo’s, or something similar to that effect. It also creates tension because it suggests that Eddie is becoming closer to the point at which he can not sustain a calm nature for any longer.
In conclusion, Arthur Miller creates tension in “A View From the Bridge” by exploring many themes. These include: masculinity, incest, pride, love, jealousy and obsession. Miller successfully uses these themes to build huge climaxes at many points throughout the play, and create vast quantities of tension for the audience.
