After the visit with Alfieri, Eddie gets home where everyone is talking about Rodolfo. Catherine seems very fascinated at everything Rodolfo does because of love, Even if some are the simplest things she is amazed. She acts like a curious child. Eddie notices her interest in Rodolfo's singing so he quickly silences him. His ability to do this lets him believe that he is in charge in the house. The stage directions show his power because he stands up all the time. She starts of by saying “They went to Africa once. On a fishing boat. (Eddie then glances at her). Its true, Eddie.” Eddie replies and says he didn’t say they didn’t. The glance at Catherine from Eddie was to say that he really didn’t care what they’ve done, and don’t want to get involved at all if it involves praising Rodolfo.
I also found how every time in this section Eddie said something it was always directed at Marco and didn’t really want to talk to Rodolfo, sometimes even ignoring what he said. Eddie just wants to snap and put down anything good Rodolfo does, he seems to be just getting more anxious to tell him to shut up as you go on. Finally when Eddie and
Marco are talking about oranges in Italy being painted, Rodolfo adds in how lemons are green. Eddie snaps “I know lemons are green, for Christ sake, you see them in the store they’re green sometimes. I said oranges they paint; I didn’t say nothing about lemons.” It seems from Eddie’s point of view that Rodolfo is just trying to make Eddie out to be a fool or less of a man. Eddie always seems to mock Rodolfo. They call him a "canary" and a "paper doll". This all leads up to dramatic tension, for example eddies kiss with Catherine at the beginning of act two.
Eddie’s relationship with Marco is a very strange one. This is what causes conflict between them! Marco is a manly guy because he is a "square-built peasant of thirty-two, suspicious, tender, and quiet-voiced". Marco is supposed to be a tall, strong man, who also keeps himself to himself. Marco, also, was thinking about his family the whole time he was in America, in fact the only reason why he came to America was, to make some money and to send it home to his family. These are all the looks and qualities that Eddie implies that a man needs. Finally, Marco is a lot more mature than Rodolfo is; this is another quality that a man needs according to Eddie. Marco thinks about his actions and what it will do, but the problem is that Marco also shows his feelings in what he does not what he says, so this causes conflict between Marco and Eddie because they find it hard to communicate with each over.
This lack of talking how he feels causes problems between the two men because they do not understand each other, when you don't talk to someone or tell them your feelings than its hard to know what they are like and how they feel. For example when Marco lifts the chair at the end of act one, Eddie felt that Marco was threatening him but Marco was only trying to warn and remind Eddie that Rodolfo has a brother.
In all of this Miller makes Beatrice out to being the peacemaker in every situation. Every time tensions are getting high she seems to cool everyone down by changing the subject. The main time she does this is when Eddie’s temper towards Rodolfo boils over with the situation with the lemons. Eddie and Rodolfo seem to be heading towards a face off, but quickly Beatrice diverts all their attentions by changing the subject. She then starts talking about Marco’s wife getting the money he sent her. Another time is when Eddie makes a joke about Marco’s wife cheating on him. Marco does not find this very funny at all but as he’s a guest he’s polite and acts like he doesn’t know what Eddie means. This is also one of the first confrontations between Marco and Eddie even though it’s small. These go on all out through the play. Eddie just continually snubs and criticizes Rodolfo "It’s wonderful. He sings, he cooks, he could make dresses…" the onlookers, especially Beatrice are very anxious, as they know Eddie and how his anger is building. This raises the tension in the characters and also the audience. Beatrice is also one of the characters that are aware of Eddie’s true feelings but she is too scared to say anything. Beatrice is supposed to be a timid person and wouldn't confront Eddie as he dominates her decisions so she is scared. Beatrice leaves the situation to start off but as Eddie starts to get in the way of Catherine Rodolfo’s relationship she says something to Catherine.
After this Eddie starts talking about Rodolfo and Catherine’s relationship and how Rodolfo has got no real respect for him or her and just dragged her off. Beatrice being a peacemaker defends Rodolfo to calm everything down. Trying to end all of this Beatrice says something which she thinks will shut Eddie up when Eddie talks about just being Catherine’s uncle not her Father, Beatrice says “Well then, be an uncle then.” Showing he is not the only one who’s realised that Eddie has taken his protection of Catherine too far. Eddie is jealous of Rodolfo in more than one way, he feels beaten by Rodolfo's talents, cooking, dress making, singing. Even though he uses them as something to make fun of him with, he secretly feels that Rodolfo can do more than him and can go further in life than he ever will. From here Beatrice really is less of a peacemaker and is just going against all Eddie says but this is getting Eddie fired up.
Later due to Eddie’s Negativity it seems as if everyone is against Eddie. Who Miller at the moment is being made out to be Selfish and bad. After all this it says Catherine puts on a record and flushed with revolt asks Rodolfo to dance. The words flushed with revolt show us that Catherine is very annoyed and wants to get back and Eddie, showing him she is not his puppet and is independent. Rodolfo at the moment is not too sure about Eddie so decides to say no, but Beatrice once again going against Eddie tells them to dance. Eddie is frustrated and the play says he turns his head away. He then seems to plan how he’s going to get Rodolfo back for this. To take attention away from what he’s done he starts praising Rodolfo which he’s never done before. This is a physical way of showing emotions, a lot of Millers messages are sent through physical activities.
He then finds his opportunity by asking Rodolfo to box with him. He then starts to seem really nice. He’s teaching Rodolfo how to defend himself from enemies. Acting very friendly with him. Beatrice who first thought this was a bad idea starts enjoying it. Everything is going well. Eddie asks Rodolfo to hit him and after Eddie says he’s going to hit Rodolfo but in a friendly way. So Eddie hits him hard. He alone knows that he has got his revenge from Rodolfo dancing with Catherine. Everyone is wondering whether Rodolfo is ok and Rodolfo trying to seem manly in front of Catherine says yes he’s fine he was just surprised. Everyone else falls for it. This was a way of Eddie getting his anger out, also showing Rodolfo that he wants respect from him. This again is Physical like most of the key moments in Millers play. Mainly the intension had been to seem a bigger man than Rodolfo!
Lastly and this is the most important section which makes the end of act one dramatically effective. Is the scene where Marco asks Eddie to lift a chair with one hand and Eddie can’t, but Marco can. Everyone has fallen for Eddie’s punch on Rodolfo as being merely friendly except Marco who realises there was a deeper intension. He then confronts Eddie this way showing him that he is stronger than him; mainly that he will defend his brother anytime he needs to. So Eddie should watch what he does. This is the second Confrontation between Eddie and Marco. Miller also wanted this to leave a cliff-hanger to make audiences or reader want to continue reading or come back and watch the rest of the play. This also makes you think about what happens in the play a lot more. Once again it is physical showing that most of the play is based on physical activities.
