JB Priestlys An inspector calls Essay Example For Students

JB Priestlys An inspector calls Essay Act 2 ends not with an exit but with an entrance, Erics. The act finishes with an atmosphere of tension and immense expectancy of what is yet to come. How does J. B Priestly achieve this and what dramatic devices does he use? J B Priestlys An inspector calls is a first-class, proficient play containing an excellent diversity of clever dramatic devices and stage directions to guarantee to have you hanging on by every word and motion throughout the play for the expectancy of what is to occur. The way in which Priestly employees theses dramatic devices are very well organised and timed. For insistence at the beginning of the play his stage directions are very deliberate whilst using the lighting. It directs the lighting to be pink and intimate until the inspector arrives, and then it should be brighter and harder this suggests it to be an intimate and friendly atmosphere whilst their celebrations for Sheila and Geralds engagement but as soon as the inspector enters it changes to show seriousness in the room and the atmosphere hardens, the friendly atmosphere has gone-this I think is premeditated to prepare us for the things that are to come. The lighting then stays the same throughout the rest of the play because the atmosphere and tension does not leave also. The stage directions are intentional in the way they are seated at the dinner table which has no cloth and desert plates and champagne glasses, etc. and then re-placed with dentor of port, cigar box and cigarettes. This represents their wealth and the champagne suggests a celebration is taking place, the fact that they have no cloth over their table proposes that they are too good and its a fashionable manner. The way in which they are also seated is Mr Birling is at the top of the table and his wife the other end with Eric downstage and Shelia and Gerald upstage this advocates family status and that Mr Birling is the head of the family-he is the one with the most power. Another stage direction is All five are in evening dress of the period, the men in tails and white ties, not dinner-jackets. Arthur Birling is a heavy-looking rather portentous man in his speech. His wife is about fifty, a rather cold woman and her husbands superior with life and rather excited. Gerald Croft is an attractive chap about thirty, rather too manly to be dandy but is very much the easy well-bred young man about town. Eric is in his early twenties, not quite at ease, half shy, half assertive. At this time of the play, you already start to get an indication of the characters and the 1912 standards the date of the scene is set you recognize this by their outfits. At the moment they all have all had a god dinner, are celebrating a special occasion and are pleased with themselves this alludes to the fact that something is going to happen-the tension begins to set in. Another dramatic device is a dramatic pause by Mr Birling himself when he gives a speech to Shelia and Gerald about marriage and work. As soon as he begins he says I dont often make speeches at you- rather pompously in the stage directions he holds them for a moment before continuing this purpose of this is to show power by Mr Birling and suspense to want to know what he says in his speech the tension then also rises. This is intentional. Moreover when Birling asks the inspector what his business was with them and asked if it was anything to do with a a trouble-free warrant the inspector merely replied No, Mr Birling then he didnt continue until Mr Birling rather impatiently after a pause asked what is it then? this created suspense in the audience which is exactly what Priestley sought after. Additionally act one and two end with a pause before the curtain falls. Act one the inspector enters unobserved whilst Sheila and Gerald were having a conversation about this so-called dead girl and he simply walks in saying well? Balcony Scene EssayThen we see Eric entering the room and after a short pause the curtain falls leaving on a cliffhanger causing an immense amount of tension and suspense to want o know how Eric is involved and what will happen to him. The language and dialogue used in this play is very premeditated by Priestley in order to create as much tension and suspense in the atmosphere to keep the audience interested. For example when information is given to us, as the audience but then taken away again- as with the moment when Eric says yes, I remember Birling questions him by saying well, what do you remember? and he quickly says nothing to cover it up. Gerald then comes in by saying sounds a bit fishy to me-this is done with intent to arouse suspicion and suspense for the erg to know what he was talking about. The inspectors minimalist answers similar reminiscent of a unadorned yes or no and with no explanation following which often engenders Birling to retort which causes tension between the characters which I think Priestley does purposefully. When Sheila realises Gerald is also involved he asks her not to tell the inspector and she laughs rather hysterically and says why-you fool-he knows. Of course he knows. And I hate to think how much he knows that we dont know yet. Youll see. Youll see Repetition to emphasis more is come and keep us in suspense and interested. Its not just what is said that creates tension and suspense by the end of act two its also what is not said. As Eric enters the room he doesnt say anything- he knows they all know he has something to do with it this makes us want to know how he is involved and we wait in anticipation for him to say something but the curtain then closes leaving us wondering in suspense. I think J. B Priestley wanted this to be a didactic play to prove that every action has its consequences. When they realise that it wasnt one girl and no-one had actually died and there is no Inspector by the name he went by -some of them were relived that they wouldnt get a bad reputation or bad press, Sheila was the only one who saw what he was doing and said maybe there isnt an Eva Smith but there are thousand of people out there like that. I think J. B Priestleys aim was social reform and to tech us that everyone is equal and to simply think before you act.