Through his play Priestley skillfully keeps the audience interested and in suspense. He carefully manipulates the inspector‘s responses to each character to keep the action of the plot moving forward. The evidence is that the inspector’s questions and responses make the people feel guilty and he acts strongly throughout the play and this is what keeps the audience interested and in suspense. He doesn’t show Mr. and Mrs. Birling the respect they think they ought to deserve. For example in act two when the inspector says “(severely) do you want me to tell you in plain words”. He quarrels with them on several occasions for example “I think you did something terribly wrong… You’d have seen”. He argues like this constantly almost throughout the play. He does this because Priestley is aiming at making the audience aware that the family have done some terrible things. The Birling’s try to slow the play down at times by quarrelling with each other but the inspector keeps trying to move the plot forward; “And my trouble is that I haven’t much time… the girl discovered that the money you were giving her was stolen, didn’t she?”. He tells the Birling family that they can “divide the responsibility” afterwards.
The plot is slowly developed by the inspector focusing on each character in turn. For example when the inspector interviews Mr. Birling he reacts cynically. He acts arrogantly and tries to justify his claim by talking about labour costs increasing and he tries to use his class and status against the inspector by telling him about his “friendless” with colonel Roberts. “Well, it’s my duty to keep labour costs down, and if I’d agreed to this demand for a new rate we’d have added twelve percent to our labour costs… it’s a free country I told them”. He also says, “Perhaps I ought to warn you that he’s an old friend of mine…up at the west Brumley”. Throughout the play Mr. Birling tries to put the inspector down by using his class against him but he remains successful.
Even Mrs. Birling’s interview shows arrogance and cold heartedness. She shows that she felt no sympathy for Eva Smith and that she was prejudiced against Eva’s case, “Yes, I think it was simply a piece of gross impertinence… prejudiced me against her case”. She thinks a lot of her family but infact we find out that she does not know her family well at all. For example, “But I didn’t know it was you… you don’t get drunk”. This shows that she actually has no idea what her family is like. This also tells us that she thinks that her family is very good and innocent like her but they are not and she is not innocent either.
Following the inspector’s questioning of Sheila we find out that she reacts guiltily. She realizes that she did something terribly wrong and admits it in front of the inspector. She is very emotional and when the inspector shows her the picture of Eva Smith Sheila runs out crying. She blames herself for the girl’s suicide at first but then she realizes that she is not the only one to blame. Sheila tries to defend Eva throughout the play. “I can’t believe, I won’t believe it’s simply my fault in the end she – she committed suicide …”.This shows that she does feel guilty and feels sorry for the girl who died but she knows it is not all her fault. She is a kind and caring character after finding out about Eva Smith and learns a lesson which the others certainly don’t.
From both Gerald and Eric’s interviews it seems that they both used their social positions to manipulate Eva Smith. They used her and got rid of her when they wanted to. They only wanted her for entertainment and they knew that they could get rid of her with ease. They also knew that she would not want to get married to either of them because they are of much higher class than her. Gerald made her a bit happy at one time but he had to leave her and get engaged to Sheila. These are couple of examples of their attitude towards her. “It’s hard to say. I didn’t feel about her as she felt for me”. Gerald said this and showed that he used Eva Smith. Eric says, “Yes I insisted – it seems. I’m not very clear about it, but afterwards she told she didn’t want me to go in but that – well, I was in that state when a chap turns nasty – and I threatened to make a row. Eric says here that he forced himself into her room and threatened her if she made any noise.
In the play An Inspector calls dramatic irony is a technique also used to great effect by Priestley to help keep the audience interested. For example when the audience know that the father of the child is Eric but Mrs. Birling doesn’t know and goes on about “Making an example of him”. The audience also know when the inspector questions Gerald but Mrs. Birling does not seem to have realized.
Any actor preparing for his or her role for the play would be left in little doubt about how Priestley wanted him to portray his characters because of the details in his stage directions. For example the characters all have their different attitudes and they remain pretty much the same throughout for example, Mr. Birling speaks proudly and majestically along with his wife Sybil and the Inspector’s are similar to some of those that Mr. Birling has but he tries to take control of the situation more and does become aggressive at times. Sheila reacts guiltily of course after hearing about the suicide and reacts with most of her comments quietly and sympathetically. Gerald acts excitedly and supportive of Mr. Birling and towards the end gets a bit more excited and acts a bit arrogantly along with Mr. Birling towards the start of the play. Eric acts towards Eva possibly in a similar way to Sheila and the way he handles alchohol shows that he has been drinking for some time.
Through the carefully controlled script Priestley is able to develop his themes. For example politics He tried to show in the play that everyone should be allowed a fair chance in life. They should be treated well and given respect. He showed that some higher class people have sympathy for the poor, such as Sheila and Eric. With the inspector’s last words Priestley cleverly gives the audience a strong reminder of his opinions and ideas, “… We don’t live alone. We are members of one body…, then they will be taught it in fire and anguish. Good night.” He says what he thinks one last time what he believes in and mentions the prospect of further wars, Priestley is saying that this lesson must be learn’t or man will suffer.
Certainly lighting played an important part in the play and is used to reflect the mood on the stage. For example before the inspector enters, the lighting is pink and rosy but when he enters the mood turns hard and the light concentrates on every person as they are being interviewed .
At the end of each act, including the last one, the audience is left in suspense, in act one this is because Gerald panics when the inspector mentions the name Daisy Renton and the act finishes just when the Inspector says, “Well”, he is just about to question Gerald and the audience do not know what is going to happen. In act two this is because Mrs. Birling begins to realize that Eric is the father and the audience are again left in suspense. In act three this is because the inspector has left the Birling family to receive a phone call saying that a girl has committed suicide and an inspector is coming over to investigate. The audience are not sure who the inspector is but Priestley leaves the audience with the problem of deciding who or what was the real role of the inspector. Whether he was a ghost or a hoax does not seem as important as his message. As Sheila said, “Well, he inspected us all right”. Perhaps that is what Priestley intended the audience to understand.
