We as the audience have to trust him because he is a guide through the play to make us understand. He tells us that Catherine talked to him, this tells us as the audience that something is about to happen
The scene continues highlighting the sexual tensions between Catherine and Rodolfo “are you hungry?” “Not for anything to eat.” The audience could be anxious because Eddie is never away and they would be shocked at Rodolfo’s openness. At this stage Rodolfo has become more mature. His language is more expressive and more eloquent he uses the metaphor of the little bird. He is more confident and has the courage to say what he is feeling about the situation with Eddie and Catherine.
Rodolfo is regarded as the joker, a bit of a fool the way Eddie talks about him “he ain’t right “ since his metaphor of the little bird the audience are quite impressed with Rodolfo because he shows he has a more manly side to him as well, Catherine in contrast to Rodolfo because she feels insecure. In the stage directions A. miller tells us that Catherine seems withdrawn, we the audience feel she is considering Eddies’ ideas about Rodolfo bowing to his passport after she questions him to why he is in America. She is full of secrets and we are aware that she is warned about Eddie and about the doubts Eddie has about Rodolfo.
At this stage the audience might be doubting Rodolfo’s’ love for Catherine. There is virtue –truth in Rodolfo’s words when he tells Catherine about what it would be like to live in Italy. He feels passionately about doing the right thing for Catherine he shows confidence and doing so wins over the audiences’ trust on him.
Rodolfo in contrast to Eddie, in this scene he isn’t confused he is sure about his feelings, although we might feel this is the first time Catherine has told us she is scared of Eddie we can look back at the beginning of the scene. She was trying to look for Eddies’ approval she was more hesitant, then in then she was act two she has gained slight confidence.
The slight pause is for the audience and the character to acknowledge her feelings about Eddie. Stealing herself- trying to gain confidence to say something. We know the impact in going to Italy will have on Eddie there will be anger, total rage things wont be the same (playing happy families as we saw in the opening scenes). In believing that there is love, we start to think that Eddie wants things to stay as they are.
The audience can build up the ideas of the relationship between Eddie and Catherine. “Catherine oh little girl” Rodolfo takes the role of Eddie, Eddie doesn’t want this, Its as if Catherine took the role of Beatrice and maybe that’s when the confusion began.
Perhaps A. Miller is trying to soften the audience up so that they don’t judge Eddie too harshly just before he kisses Rodolfo in doing so he builds even more tension between the three characters this is another dramatic impact certainly we as the audience would never have expected this especially from Eddie after all the things he has said about Rodolfo. A. Miller is trying to say it isn’t just Eddies fault its both Catherine and Beatrice’s fault too.
Rodolfo and his metaphorical language show the audience how mature he is becoming and also rids us of any doubts we had about him. At this stage the audience would be very anxious, apprehensive and tense because we know something’s going to happen after they make love. Perhaps Catherine and Rodolfo wants Eddie to know that they had sex because why does Catherine adjust her dress and why didn’t Rodolfo stay in the bedroom and come out when the coast was clear?
The audience might feel bored of Eddie persistent jokes about Rodolfo – slightly in shock Rodolfo-jestingly watches Eddie to see whether or not he’s going to react to him coming out of Catherine’s bedroom. When Eddie tells Rodolfo to get out we know that he has worked out they had sex. The passion of the audience and the character has aroused; Catherine obviously loves him because she tells Eddie not to cry. The audience would be disgusted when he kisses Catherine. This is because Eddie has brought up Catherine as if she was his own daughter so he should know not to kiss her. But when he kisses Rodolfo we can feel pity for him because this is when he’s out of control and confused about the situation.
He makes jokes of Rodolfo, the ultimate insult. He’s completely lost respect for himself, by kissing Catherine and Rodolfo he has insulted them. There is no sense of madness as he laughs mockingly at Rodolfo. When A. Miller writes, “they are like animals” there were no morals they weren’t thinking about what they were doing. Eddie is trying to prove that Rodolfo isn’t good for Catherine. He stays on the subject that he’s a singing, dancing canary and in kissing him he was trying to prove that he likes kissing men an alternative to calling the immigration.
Dramatic affect- light appearing on Alfieri we might feel Eddies destiny is mapped out. When the blue light appears its as if it’s a calling to him to call immigration. We would almost want to be calling out ourselves “don’t do it Eddie!” because everyone he loves will be hurt.