What is there about the society of Salem which allowed the girls’ stories to be believed?
What is there about the society of Salem which allowed the girls' stories to be believed? In a small Puritan town called Salem in 1692, a group of young girls were discovered dancing and supposedly 'conjuring spirits' in the woods, something that was strictly forbidden by Puritan law. Ironically the girls avoided punishment by accusing others of the very things of which they were guilty. This led to a cycle of distrust, accusation, arrest and conviction in the town. The girls were totally believed and even praised throughout the witch trials. No one thought it could be possible that they were lying. Hence, by the end of 1692, the Salem court had convicted and executed nineteen men and women for practising witchcraft. But what was it that led the girls' stories to be believed? The Massachusetts Bay colony was founded by a group of Puritan settlers who arrived from England in 1630. They had been persecuted in England under the rule of James 1 and after his rule they left to create a 'New Jerusalem' in America. In this settlement, there was only one religion, the Protestant one. The town of Salem was surrounded by forest inhabited by Indians. Initially the Puritans tried hard to convert the Indians but they had failed. Consequently the forest, where the 'heathen' Indians lived was considered to be not just evil but the 'Devil's last preserve'. This belief contributed to all
How does Miller use the role of Alfieri to involve the audience and illustrate the cultural context of the play?
How does Miller use the role of Alfieri to involve the audience and illustrate the cultural context of the play? In Millers play 'A View from the Bridge', the character of Alfieri is used to include the audience and demonstrate the cultural context of the play in a number of ways. For example, Alfieri commentates on the action in detail so that the audience can understand the events more vividly. In ancient plays, an essential part of the play was that of a chorus: a group of figures who would watch the action, comment on it, and address the audience directly. In this play, Alfieri is the equivalent of the chorus. The play is opened with a prologue- a speech given by Alfieri. It is used, for us to have an idea of the setting to the plot. Alfieri's speech introduces the major themes of the play and places them in past perspective. In addition, this gives the audience an impression of the modern stereotype of Italian immigrants into the country. It is also instantaneously obvious that Alfieri is a significant character involved in the action as well as being the narrator of events that have happened. However, before Alfieri even speaks, Millers stage directions give him an indication, which invites the audience to take particular note of him and even commiserate with him. When Alfieri does speak, he uses very poetic, eloquent speech and a formal, controlled dialogue, which
How does Arthur Miller utilise the character of Alfieri to contribute to the dramatic effect of 'A View from the Bridge?'
How does Arthur Miller utilise the character of Alfieri to contribute to the dramatic effect of 'A View from the Bridge?' A View from the Bridge has its roots in the late 1940's. Arthur Miller was told a story from a young lawyer friend about a longshoreman who had told the Immigration Bureau on two brothers, his own relatives, who were living illegally in his own home, in order to break an engagement between one of them and his niece. Arthur Miller noted the story but didn't make anything of it immediately. After a while Arthur Miller became interested in the lives and work of the communities of dockworkers and longshoremen of New York's Brooklyn harbour, where he had previously worked. A few years later, during his first visit to Italy, Arthur Miller visited Sicily, where he "saw a dozen men standing around a well in the middle of a dusty piazza." This image attached itself to the story Arthur Miller had heard earlier and combined with the experiences he gained of Italian Immigrant workers in Brooklyn Navy Yard, he has the background to the play that was to become 'A View from the Bridge.' The character Alfieri contributes to the play in many roles. This made Alfieri an unusual character for a 1914 play. Arthur Miller's pervious play 'The Crucible' had bad reviews therefore he was very disappointed as he felt people hadn't understood "the real and inner theme of the
In Arthur Miller's "A View from the Bridge", the character of Alfieri can be described as the 'hidden leading role'.
In Arthur Miller's "A View from the Bridge", the character of Alfieri can be described as the 'hidden leading role'. He bears several roles, most of them more significant than assumed by the casual reader. His dual-role onstage as a character who interacts both with other characters and the audience provides him with the responsibility of bringing about some understanding to the events of the play, while his background makes him the vital link between two conflicting cultures. Alfieri is the symbolic bridge between American constitutional law and Italian social law. The son of a Sicilian, he was raised in America and pursued an education in American law, providing him with a suitable dose of both backgrounds. Like a bridge, Alfieri connects with both shores. Like a bridge, Alfieri leans on the solid foundations of both cultures. But also like a bridge, Alfieri is elevated above, and therefore watches more often than he interferes. Hence the title "A View from the Bridge". The whole play is Alfieri's perception of the events that took place. It is almost a secondary source - that is, a collection of primary sources with his personal interpretation mixed in at relevant moments - but it isn't a complete secondary source, because there are significant times during the play when Alfieri himself is involved. Alfieri provides vital continuity at points in the play when the story
How Does Arthur Miller create dramatic tension in A View from the Bridge(TM)?
How Does Arthur Miller create dramatic tension in 'A View from the Bridge'? In A View from the Bridge we see struggles and relationships between almost every character; there is not one character that does not add to the dramatic tension in some way. Arthur Miller has the characters create tension in three main ways: presence on stage, movements on stage and speech. The central character is Eddie, he is the reason for a lot of the tension and we see this tension build up to the climax of his death. The relationship between Beatrice and Eddie causes tension very easily because of their differences of views on Catherine's welfare. From the beginning we see this by Catherine's decision to get a job. when Eddie finds out this he is making excuses almost to block out the fact that he loves her and does not want her to change from her current ways. 'It's not wonderful. You'll never get nowheres unless you finish school. You can't take no job. Why didn't you ask me before you take a job?', this care for Catherine causes a large proportion of the tension in the play. Every so often we see Beatrice approach Eddie away from the other characters and order him to change his views towards Catherine. This conflict between them reverberates tension throughout the whole play. Arthur Miller made Eddie a self self-righteous person and making his attitude constant throughout. This in turn puts
How does Miller present Willy as a tragic figure in the extract Carrots quarter-inch apart to suddenly conscious of Biff?
English Coursework By Chad Walker How does Miller present Willy as a tragic figure in the extract 'Carrots... quarter-inch apart' to 'suddenly conscious of Biff'? Willy is the anti-hero in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. In this extract, Willy is communing with the memory of his phantom brother whilst planting seeds - analogous for leaving behind something that will grow for his family after he is gone. Willy is both the tragic victim and hero of the play as consumerist society plays the role of villain in draining him when he was at his prime and then tossing him aside as he becomes old and senile from the 'exhaustion' he was put under from working for both his family and a plummeting economy due to the Wall Street Crash of 1929 that led to the Great Depression of the 1930s. As the entire play is drawn out into two acts, with no intermediate scenes, the audience can fully experience how exhausted and stressed Willy is. Ben had left America for the Klondike gold rush in Alaska and asked Willy to go with him so that they may become successful - in the eyes of wealth - but he rejected the offer, yet is still greatly influenced in his opinion of 'success'. The very idea of financial success may have also been aroused by the Panic of 1893 and 1896. Earlier in the play when Linda sees Ben again she says 'Oh, you're back?' as if dauntingly and she knows that the impression
Miller presents Will Loman as a failure in many aspects of his life. To what extent do you agree with the view that Willy Loman is chiefly a failure as a husband?
Miller presents Willy Loman as a failure in many aspects of his life. To what extent do you agree with the view that Loman is chiefly a failure as a husband? Willy Loman's lack of success as a husband is one of his main failings and one of the key strands of the play. However this, and his other major failing (as a father), can both be traced back to his failure to truly know himself and to achieve anagnorisis. His insecurities concerning his own sense of self, as well as his reluctance or inability to accept that there is a difference between what he imagines and reality, define his life as they contribute to his failings and lead, ultimately, to his demise. Willy Loman can certainly be considered to be a failure as a husband. His marriage to Linda appears to be somewhat unstable: while she speaks affectionately to him, referring to him as "dear" and trying to, as the stage directions say, "bring him out" of his illusionary episodes, he snaps at her, demanding childishly that he wants "Swiss cheese". Only a few lines later he refers to her as "sweetheart", telling her that she is his "foundation and... support". These mood swings, interspersed with demands and brief flashes of tenderness, continue throughout the play and characterise relations between the couple. This does not make for a happy marriage, yet this in itself cannot make Willy Loman a failure as a husband. It
In All My Sons, Arthur Miller offers a different perspective on the conventional Aristotle tragic hero with Joe Keller
In “All My Sons”, Arthur Miller offers a different perspective on the conventional Aristotle tragic hero with Joe Keller. Discuss how Joe Keller compares to the classical model of a tragic hero. “All My Sons” is a modern tragedy by Arthur Miller that presents the themes and ideas of denial, blame and the American dream. Joe Keller is the ‘ordinary’ man, hence his name suggesting ‘ordinary Joe’. He is at the heart of the tragedy, along with his family, as we hear of their missing son lost during the war serving his country. During this time Joe used his business of making engine cylinders, to get involved in war profiteering; this is someone or a business that improperly profits from warfare by selling weapons and other goods to parties at war. Joe’s engines cylinders were used in fighter planes, which his son flew. Due to faulty cylinders, which Joe knew about yet still sent off to the army, men died. This brought his close colleague and friend imprisonment and brought shame to his wife, Kate and his son, Chris. Throughout the tragedy, Joe Keller fits with the conventional Aristotle idea of tragic hero, but Arthur Miller also offers a different perspective. Here Joe Keller will be compared to the classical model of a tragic hero, on how he relates and differs, looking closely at how Arthur Miller specifically conveys him differently. Many say that Joe
Is it fair to say that Beatrice is a tragic victim in A View from the Bridge?
Is it fair to say that Beatrice is a tragic victim in ‘A View from the Bridge?’ Beatrice on the whole is can be seen as represented as a strong and stable character, the evidence to support this is that she shows loyalty and offers support towards the people in her family especially towards her husband Eddie; she describes him as an ‘angel’ (P.8) and tells him that she’s ‘worried’ about him (p.8). It is ironic that Beatrice is shown as a caring character at the start of the play as during the end of the play we see how frustration leads Beatrice into becoming a different character to how we saw her in the beginning of the play. Through the end of the play Beatrice starts to lose her temper when she sees Eddie’s real feelings for Catherine. From there on the audience sees a different side to Beatrice as she starts off as a calm character and is then seen as frustrated. Beatrice is also shown as a mother figure to Catherine (her niece); However, Eddie’s over protectiveness towards Catherine creates differences in Beatrice’s marriage therefore Beatrice can be seen as a tragic victim because of her husband’s obsession with her niece. Beatrice could be seen as a tragic victim because although it is not directly shown, we are able to see that Beatrice has no children of her own therefore she cares for Catherine as if she were her own child. However, her
Explore the ways in which Miller uses symbolism to emphasise the tragedy in Death of a Salesman.
Ben Grantham Ms Pritchard S Peters Collegiate School 20962 Candidate Number: 6055 Explore the ways in which Miller uses symbolism to emphasise the tragedy in Death of a Salesman. A symbol is defined as ‘an object or action that represents an idea, function or process,’ essentially anything which ‘stands for’ something else. When viewed in relation to the Aristotelian model of tragedy in Poetics, Miller’s rich use of symbolism in Death of a Salesman contradicts a key premise within Aristotle’s tragedian theory, labelling the tragic hero’s hamartia as the cause for their downfall. Miller uses symbols to explore the motifs of success, freedom and failure, as well as to help shape our view of his characters. Throughout the play Miller emphasises the strength of these symbols through the way they affect the Loman family and in particular Willy, whose obsession with the American Dream – and all that it encompasses – brings him to his tragic end. We may consider Willy to posses the tragic flaw of hubris, which will only assist the interplay of the material and figurative symbols Miller creates to entrap Willy within his beliefs, leaving him unable to escape.