Alfieri is the first person to speak in the play
Think about the roles he fulfils:
•A Chorus who watches from the sidelines and
comments on the tragedy –read the definition below
and say how far you feel this is true of Alfieri – use
quotation to support your answer
•What does Alfieri tell us about the characters?
•What does he tell us about the history of the place
and the people?
•Why does Miller use a chorus to help to tell his
story?
The Greek chorus is believed to have grown out of the
tragic plays of the ancient Greek theatre. The chorus
offers a variety of background and summary information
to help the audience follow the performance. It comments
on themes, and shows how an ideal audience might react
to the drama. It also represents the population in any
particular story, in sharp contrast with many of the themes
of the ancient Greek plays which tended to be about
heroes, gods and goddesses. In many of these plays, the
chorus expressed to the audience what the main
characters could not say, such as their fears or secrets.
The chorus usually communicated in song form, but
sometimes spoke their lines in unison.
•Background
•Summary
•Heroes
•Gods/goddesses
•The character’s hidden fears and
secrets
•How many of these does Alfieri
reveal to the audience?
Alfieri
Father Figure - father Confessor
•Think about his role as an advisor to Eddie
– how far do you think this description of
him applies?
•Who else does he try to help?
•Support your argument with quotation from
the play
Alfieri finishes the play as well as starting it.
Are there any links between his opening
speech, and the one which closes the play?
What does he tell us about Eddie Carbone
in the closing speech?
Do you agree with his assessment of
Eddie’s character, that Eddie was pure and
‘himself purely’
Eddie Carbone
It’s always a good idea when you’re
working an a drama to think who might
play the leading roles. Take a moment
to think who would best embody Eddie.
He’s from an Italian background, but
has been in the USA for along time.
Find evidence from the early part of the
play of his ancestral background. Think
a bout: his attitude to women, to the law,
to the community
Select 5 words to describe his character
from the early scenes of the play
Here is a list of words which might describe Eddie:
•kind
•mean
•generous
•Decent
•thoughtful
•cruel
•Considerate
• unromantic
•selfish
•Demanding
•shy
•uncompromising
•cowardly
•stubborn
•responsible
•joyful
•law abiding
• brooding
•friendly
•carefree
•Hospitable
•forgiving
•Loving
• intense
•Overprotective
• heartless
•Scheming
•pessimistic
•family man
•Casual
•loyal
•passionate
Doesn't
Applies to
apply to
Eddie in
Eddie at all Act One
Applies to
Eddie in
Act Two
Make a chart putting in the words which apply
in the right columns
Applies to
Eddie in
both Acts
How do the other characters in the play see Eddie?
Many of them change their opinion of him as the play progresses.
To simplify the changes, consider the following four basic stages:
Stage 1: The beginning.
Stage 2: After Act One.
Stage 3: After Eddie has betrayed Rodolfo and Marco.
Stage 4: The end.
In pairs, discuss how the main characters feel about Eddie at these
stages and then fill in a chart like the one below on Marco. Check
to see that you agree with the statements about Marco’s feelings.
Beginning
After Act One
After Betrayal
End
Grateful to Eddie, a little in awe of him
Wary – senses trouble
Considers him a murderer
Feels he deserved to die - justice has been done
A View from the Bridge
Speaking and Listening Coursework
Task One●
A Big Brother Diary Room for a character in a set text, followed by their
return to talk to the housemates (who could be other characters in the
text but need not be).
•Prepare your monologue
•Speak to the ‘camera’
•Return to the main room and share your thoughts with the other
characters
•Each main room should include the other characters from the play AND
one stranger
•Timings need to be fairly tight, not more than 2 minutes to camera, 3
minutes in the main room
Remember we are assessing speaking and listening, you don’t listen
and contribute sensibly you lose marks
Task 2
Activity
■ Ask students to write the text they’ve been studying
as a recipe, with a list of ingredients and a set of
instructions, to show how the writer has concocted the
story, for instance:
● the ingredients (characters, themes, styles of
writing)
● quantities (a pinch, a dash, several pints, lashings
of...) to show what’s important
● instructions/method (the writer’s
techniques)
■ Read some of the recipes aloud, to share what other
students have written.
■ Students write a short commentary, explaining their
recipe and how it relates to the original text.
1.
Charting the Play’s Structure
A View from the Bridge is written in two Acts with
nterspersed commentary from Alfieri. He introduces and
concludes the play and appears four times in each Act.
His appearances provide one of the structures of the
play.
One way of reading the play in class would be to use
these 'scenic units' as points to stop reading and explore
what has been happening.
After reading a scenic unit, talk about what has
happened, what you have learned about the characters
and the main issues or themes raised and fill in a chart
ike the one below. This chart will be useful for you when
you come to write about the play.
Page Refs
11-25
26-33
34-44
45-50
51-58
59-65
65-67
67-77
77-80
80-85
What happens
What is added to our
knowledge of the
character
Issues or themes
raised
2. Character Hot – Seating Brainstorming in Role.
After you have read a scenic unit (see previous activity), divide yourselves
up into As, Bs and Cs to cover the number of characters in that unit. All the
As are Eddie, the Bs Catherine and so on.
In your character groups discuss what has happened to your character and
how they are likely to be feeling at this point. You may want to use some of
the following prompts to help you think in role:
• Could you describe how you feel at this point?
• Did you feel at the centre of what has just gone on or on the edges?
• Were you generally leading and directing the dialogue and action or were
you mainly reacting to it?
• Were there things you wanted to do during that scene that you didn’t?
• Were there things you wanted to say but didn’t?
• What is making you behave as you are right now?
• What is important to you at this moment?
• Make a note of any questions you would you like to ask the other
characters at this point?
Hot Seating.
Now all the characters get the opportunity to ask a question of another
character or to say something that they feel needs saying.
•Everyone needs to remain in role for this hot-seating exercise so it is
useful to have a non - participant to chair the questioning and
answering - perhaps your teacher would do this.
•Stay in your character groups. Each group will be asked if they have
anything they want to say to another character; anyone from the group
can do it.
•The other character group then has a chance to respond either as
one voice or several.
•Try to get at the truth.
Rodolpho
Rodolpho’s Letters Home
Imagine that Rodolpho writes five letters home during
the course of the play, starting from his voyage to
America until the end of Act Two. His hopes, worries and
feelings would vary at different stages. Try writing four
different letters, each written at a particular point in his
journey, by looking back at the play and putting yourself
in Rodolpho’s shoes.
Letter One (page 26)
On the ship just before arriving in America. What do you
know of who you’re going to stay with? What are your
plans for work? What are your hopes and fears and
expectations of life in America?
Letter Two (page 33)
After your first evening in Eddie’s and Beatrice’s home.
What are your first impressions of the family, of
Catherine, of your chances of work?
etter Three (page 58)
his is written after the tense encounter between you, Eddie and Marco at
he end of Act One. How much do you understand of what has gone on
ere? What are your feelings and intentions towards Catherine? How
oes this episode alter your idea of the future? How dependent are you on
Marco?
etter Four (page 65)
his is written after the show-down with Eddie when he comes home
nexpectedly when you and Catherine were alone. What are you going to
o now? Do you understand Eddie’s behaviour? What about Catherine’s
wish to go and live in Italy?
etter Five (the end of the play)
How are you going to explain what has happened? Do you understand it
ourself? What about Marco - what do you think is going to happen to
im? What is going to happen to you and Catherine?
Before you start writing, decide who you are writing to as this will affect the tone
nd content of your letters. For example, you might be writing to a parent, a
rother or sister, or a friend who hopes to join you.
2. Marco’s Trial
Sicilian Codes of Conduct
The community in A View From the Bridge has a set of rules or laws - a kind
of code of conduct which isn’t written down. Many of them come from the
Sicilian way of life. For example:
Work traditions from country life in Sicily.
Laws of hospitality.
Family laws.
Marriage and courtship laws.
Laws of honour.
Laws of revenge.
Laws of sexuality.
Masculine laws.
Feminine laws.
n pairs write down short quotations from the play which refer to the Italian
code of conduct. Write them as a chart like the one below.
The following page references may help you: 11-12, 45, 47, 48, 66, 78-79.
Laws/Codes
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Quotations
Italian Code
Sicilian work
traditions
Laws of hospitality
Family laws
Marriage laws
Honour
Revenge
Sexuality
Masculinity
Femininity
The following page references may help you: 11-12, 45, 47, 48, 66, 78-79.
Beatrice’s Dilemma
Beatrice is in a very difficult position throughout the play. She loves Eddie,
and wants to remain loyal to him. But she also understands that Catherine is
growing up, and that Eddie is wrong to continue being so protective towards
Catherine. As the play goes on, Beatrice is more and more certain that
Eddie is heading for disaster. Frequently, she tries to reason with him to get
him to see that he is being obstinate or unfair or selfish. At various times
she:
• tells Eddie he doesn’t love or want her any more;
• accuses Eddie of shaming Rodolpho and upsetting Catherine;
• is disgusted with Eddie for betraying Rodolpho and Marco to the
Immigration Bureau;
• tries to make Eddie see that Catherine is growing up;
• pleads desperately with Eddie to make it up with Rodolpho and Marco;
• angrily tells Eddie to leave Catherine alone;
• makes Eddie face his sexual desire for Catherine;
• tries to defend Rodolpho from Eddie’s criticisms.
You can find the passages where Beatrice does these things on pages:
20; 68-69; 34-35; 74; 35-36; 81-82; 42; 83.
Role Play - Catherine and Beatrice 10 Years On.
In pairs, act out a conversation between Catherine
and Beatrice ten years later, in which they try to talk
honestly about what happened during the events of
the play.
Before you start you will need to make some
decisions:
• whether Catherine’s marriage to Rodolpho has
been a happy one;
• whether Beatrice and Catherine have remained
close or whether they are
meeting again for the first time in ten years;
• whether Marco is in prison/ back in Italy/ still living
in America.
Read this in pairs. Circle anything you think you understand and can
back up with evidence from the play. Make notes alongside anything you
disagree with. Underline anything you’re not sure of and talk about it as
a whole class.
Miller has said of Eddie:
‘ I had originally conceived Eddie as a phenomenon, a rather awesome
fact of existence, and I had kept a certain distance from involvement in
his self-justification. Consequently, he had appeared as a kind of illogical
sport, and to a degree a repelling figure not quite admissable into the
human family. In revising the play it became possible to accept for
myself....that however one might dislike this man, who does all sorts of
frightful things, he possesses or exemplifies the wondrous and human
fact that he too can be driven to what in the last analysis is a sacrifice of
himself for his conception, however misguided of right, dignity and
justice.’
He felt that:
‘It was finally possible to mourn this man, that in the end one feels pity
for him and the kind of wonder which it had been my aim to create in the
first place.’
Introduction, Collected Plays
Exam question Year 10
The action of the play is Alfieri’s story of a case he dealt with
as a lawyer.
Alfieri comments on and explains the action of the play as it is
happening. At times, he is part of the drama itself.
Write about how Arthur Miller uses Alfieri in View from the
Bridge:
• to explain the themes;
• to expand on the characters;
• to give background information about the time and the place;
• to make sure the audience is clear about Miller’s message;
• to participate as a character in the action.