How has JB Priestly developed the character of Arthur Birling in Act One, through his use of language, structure and dramatic devices

To emphasis the fact that Birling is a cocky businessman who thinks he knows everything, Priestly uses dramatic irony. Dramatic irony is when the audience understands something that the characters don't know. Birling talks about many things that will supposedly happen in the near future. "The Titanic-she sails next week-unsinkable-absolutely unsinkable." Priestly writing the play in 1945 fully well knows that the Titanic sunk, and also the audience know this, so this makes Birling look like a stupid fool. He also says, "Not a few German officers talking nonsense and a few scaremongers making a fuss about nothing-lets say in 1940-there will be peace and prosperity everwhere." Now this makes Birling look like a complete idiot as World War 1 brakes out just two years later. Just to top this off he finally says, "Rapid progress everywhere-except Russia of course." This fact that he believes he knows also makes him look extremely stupid as the Russian revolution happened in 1917. All of this shows us that Birling believes he knows everything because he is a rich businessman and is high up the ranks in social order but the dramatic irony that Priestly has used has just made him look thick and stupid.

When Priestly is talking to Gerald on his own he talks to him about how he might be getting a knighthood, "(confidentially) Just a knighthood of course." by saying this he is trying to impress Gerald who's father is an even bigger businessman than himself and is even higher in social order. This shows that maybe Birling is only wanting his daughter to marry Gerald so that he can become family with a man who has higher status than him so that he can become more rich. When Priestly uses the stage direction 'confidentially' for Birling it shows he is trying to be casual about the fact he might get a knighthood, trying to impress Gerald once again.

Birling gives a speech to his family about how a man has to look after himself, "A man has to make his own way-has to look after himself." This gives the impression that he comes first before anyone or anything else. It also emphasises the fact that he is a capitalist and that he does not share with other people and as long as he is well he doesn't care about anyone else. Halfway through this speech the stage directions, 'We hear the sharp ring of a doorbell' interrupt Birling. The inspector is at the door but Birling doesn't know this yet however he is already uneasy with the situation because he was interrupted. Priestly has structured the scene so that the bell rings in the middle of his speech to show how Birling can become apprehensive by the smallest thing.

Before the inspector arrives Birling is confidentially making his speech to everyone about life and because his family believe him it makes him feel strong and commanding over them. However, he loses all his confidence when the inspector intrudes his party and starts to ask him questions about a death. He quickly becomes anxious and uneasy with the continuous questioning because he is put under pressure to answer to someone who he feels isn't superior to him.

When the inspector firstly enters the room, Birling doesn't recognise him so he tries to turn the questioning to the inspector, "I'm still on the bench-and I thought I'd never seen you before." He uses this to try and win the inspector over because he is a highly respected man. However Birling is quickly put back on the spot by the inspector and his uneasiness with the questions is once again emphasised by Priestly. The stage direction, 'somewhat impatiently' is used and this shows that Birling is losing patience with the inspector and cant stand the fact that he is being interrogated over this death.

When the inspector starts suggesting that he has something to do with the suicide he just cant believe what is happening. Firstly this inspector ruins his party and now he feels like he is almost being charged with a death of someone he has nothing to do with. He mentions that it has nothing to do with him to the inspector and this emphasised by Priestly to show Birlings capitalist ways of looking after yourself. Throughout the conversation he has with the inspector, Priestly has used pauses for Birlings words in short phrases. This is another suggestion of the anxiousness of Birling when he is put under pressure.

The visit of this inspector makes Birling more uncomfortable by the minute and this is shown by the stage directions, 'abruptly'' and 'angrily' . They both show that he is restless with situation of the inspector questioning him. As Birlings temper is rising the inspector says to him, "I don't like your tone." Birling almost cant believe that he is being spoke to like this, by some inspector he has never seen before. Another stage direction used is, 'staring at the inspector'. This gives more emphasis on the fact that he is in disbelief that he being accused.

Throughout the act Birlings mood has a complete turn around. At the beginning he is relaxed because he is in charge of the household but from the minute the inspector walks through the door he loses his control over the household and is put on the spot with the inspectors questioning. The continuous questioning and the rude way that Birling feels the inspector has intruded into his house just makes him more angry and the stage directions, 'abruptly' and 'angrily' show just that. There is not any stage when the inspector is present that Birling is stable and not feeling like he's being persecuted and this is continuously emphasised by Priestly throughout the play.

During the play Priestly has cleverly developed the character of Arthur Birling, he's shown his mood changes just from not feeling in control and this is consistently shown throughout the whole visit of the inspector. The dramatic irony that Priestly used make Birling look like a fool and this was just to get the idea that he is a snob and over rated. All of Birlings stage directions show anger towards the inspector and this is shown regularly. Overall Priestly has cleverly developed the character by using dramatic devices and language that show how a man that thought he was almost above everybody socially can be bought back to reality by being the person that isn't in charge and is being questioned in an aggressive way.

Tom Cheeseman