Mr. Birling says “I say there isn’t a chance of war” then he says “The world’s developing so fast that it’ll make was impossible”. He also goes on to say that the Titanic is “Unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable.” This makes the audience feel they cannot trust Mr. birling or his judgement because they know that 2 World Wars did happen and that the Titanic did sink. Thus creating dramatic irony.
The significance of the lighting at the start of the play is important into influencing that audience. This is because it sets the scene and the mood. In the beginning the Birling’s and Gerald are celebrating the engagement if Gerald and Sheila. Mr. Birling and everyone are having a nice chat then Mr. Birling gets interrupted by the door bell. The whole mood of the scene is changed because of this sound effect. “We hear the sharp ring of a front door bell. Birling stops to listen.”
This signifies the introduction of a new major character. The use of the doorbell as a sound effect is really important to help the introduction of a new character because it builds tension and makes the audience wonder who is at the door. The entrance of the inspector has a big effect on some of the characters. For example Eric who is feeling uneasy. “An inspector? What kind of inspector?”
Eric, Mr. Birling and the Inspector are having a conversation then Shiela walks into there conversation. Mr. Birling doesn’t want the inspector to get Sheila involved, so he tries to drive away the inspector. Sheila is shown a picture of Eva Smith , she cries and runs out of the room. Her exit is used to further the plot because it gets the audience’s interest as too what Sheila knows about Eva Smith and to also get the other characters interest as well “What’s the matter with Her?” “She recognized her from the photograph, didn’t she?”
The effect of the end of Act One on the audience is a cliff hanger, having the audience think about the future of the Birlings and Gerald. As it ends mysteriouls with the inspector saying “Well?” Much of Act One is actually ironic in retrospect because in the beginning J.B. Priestly made it look like everything looks good for the future of the Birlings when actually it gets worse and everyone gets upset.
The playwright changes my opinion of the Birlings during Act One, at first they seem happy and feeling good about themselves, then as the inspector gets introduced to the Birlings I start to think of like what did they do? And what’s going on? Etc. Now I’m thinking that they could be bad people but I also feel sorry for them aswell.
The methods Priestly uses to interest and involve the audience is by creating tension and irony between the characters. He uses irony to get them involved for example how Birling says “The Titanic….” “Unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable”
Creating irony because the audience knows that this isn’t true. He interested the audience with the inspector joining the celebration, which the inspector ruins because of all of his questions getting the audience thinking and interested.
I think message of this play is a socialist message which “Is everybody effects everybody else” This is still relevant today because what you do might have an effect on someone else.
