A View from the Bridge

A View from the Bridge

There are moments of great tension in this play. Tracing the

developments of Eddies obsession, show how Miller creates and

builds up tension, particularly in the final part of Act 1.

How would the tension be shown dramatically?

'A View from the Bridge' is a play based on pride & justice and

Sicilian Honour. There is fine line between natural justice and that

that is provided by the law. The theme of 'Justice provided by the

law,' starts right at the beginning of the play with Alfieri's opening

speech. As a lawyer, he tells the watching audience of his experiences

with the people of Brooklyn, "After all, who have I dealt with in my

life? Longshoreman and their wives, and fathers and grandfathers,

compensation cases, evictions, family squabbles - the petty troubles

of the poor…" The perception of law and lawyers in Brooklyn is not

entirely friendly.

The people of Brooklyn prefer not to bother with the authorities at a

time of legal need. These people would much rather sought out their

problems by enforcing Natural Justice, they would deal with a

situation in their own way. The community of Brooklyn has its Sicilian

Honour, this is a community of people who are against law and order.

They find it unlucky to pass a lawyer on the street, in the eyes of

Brooklyn people, lawyers are connected with evil and disasters and

people would rather not get to close.

This play provides the watching audience with a lot of natural justice

from the main characters, Eddie, Marco and Beatrice when she

intervenes with Eddies and Catherine's relationship. The natural

justice with Eddie is with Marco and Rodolpho, Eddie here has taken

the law into his own hands and betraying Marco and Rodolph...

... middle of paper ...

... It is

now that the tension levels have reached a record breaking high, but

that record is broken just a few Brooklyn days later when Marco is

released and confronts Eddie. Eddie is very confident and doesn't feel

any fear of Marco, Eddie is advised by Beatrice, Catherine and

Rodolpho that Marco will seriously kill him and that he should just

stay away.

However, Eddie couldn't let himself look like a wus towards Marco and

so decides to confront him outside. Unknown to the watching audience,

Eddie is actually armed, but not dangerous! As Marco tries to

seriously harm Eddie, Eddie pulls out his pen knife and the audience a

watching have come to their own conclusion that Marco is going to be

given the stab, but unsuspectedly tension levels are breaking more

world-wide records and Marco decides to take his personal law into his

own hands and kills Eddie.