An Inspector Calls
Look at the following images. What do they have to do with the text?
Get Ready … 2 minutes on each question. Write at
least three points you would make for each one.
• ISSUES AND THEMES
• a) How does Priestley explore ideas about deception and mistrust in the
play?
• b) How does Priestley explore the theme of gender inequality in the play?
• c) How does Priestley present the theme of class differences in ‘An
Inspector Calls’?
• d) How does Priestley present ideas about social duty in ‘An Inspector
Calls’?
• e) How does the play explore the issue of time and the past’s impact on the
present?
• f) An Inspector Calls has been called “a play of contrasts”. How does
Priestley present some of these contrasts in the play?
Challenge: Can you link any
quotations to your answers?
How does Priestley explore ideas about deception
and mistrust in the play?
How does Priestley explore the theme of gender
inequality in the play?
How does Priestley present the theme of
class differences in ‘An Inspector Calls’?
How does Priestley present ideas about social
duty in ‘An Inspector Calls’?
How does the play explore the issue of time
and the past’s impact on the present?
An Inspector Calls has been called “a play of
contrasts”. How does Priestley present some of
these contrasts in the play?
Dramatic irony
Use of lighting
Stage direction
Use of prop
Extended speech
Dramatic entrance or exit
‘False’ ending
Denouement
Emphasis
Emotive Language
Exposition
Monologue
Subtext
Turning Points
Can you remind yourself of
examples of these dramatic
techniques in the play?
Now choose a question and write the opening
paragraph. Don’t forget about the following
phrases …
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This is symbolic of…
This could suggest to the reader/audience…
This might indicate that…
A reader/audience might see this as a criticism of…
A reader/audience might see this as a promotion of…
This could represent the view that...
An alternative reading could be that…
The writer could be implying that…
This is further enhanced when…
On one level, the writer might be implying…
However, it is conceivable that the writer could also be suggesting…
This is further enhanced when…