Analysis of The Inspector

Discuss the role of the Inspector as a dramatic function in the play “An Inspector Calls”.

“An Inspector Calls” is a play written in 1945 but set in 1912 and written by J.B Priestley. Throughout the play the Inspector’s views teach us about responsibility, he also teaches the Birling family through the character of the Inspector Goole. The Birling family learn that if we don’t take responsibility for our actions we will end up in war. Through setting the play in 1912, the audience see an example of what we were like before the war and why it was caused. The audience will know what it was like as, they would have just lived through war, they will realise that the society has to change and not just one person. Priestly uses the characters to express his feelings about society and tries to put across the point that if we don’t change there will be “blood and anguish”.

As the Inspector enters the stage “The lighting should be pink and intimate until the Inspector arrives then it should be brighter and harder”. This stage direction is an example of a dramatic device; it suggests that the Inspector is important; it also makes the atmosphere tense, causing the audience focus on the Inspector. However, it could also suggest that the Birling family have nothing to hide, from the Inspector. Throughout the play the Inspector uses many dramatic devises, such as the doorbell, this happens when the Birling family are at home celebrating Shelia and Gerald’s engagement. Mr Birling was having a talk with Eric and Gerald and telling them about responsibilities. “That a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own – and –” the doorbell rings interrupting Mr.Birling. The doorbell ringing draws the attention to the door a...

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... dramatic device that Priestly uses is the ringing of the telephone; this is like the doorbell ringing. Priestly use of this could be to suggest that the doorbell ringing was the First World War and the phone ringing was the Second World War. Priestly could want us to know that because people didn’t learn from their mistakes the first time it will keep repeating itself until they learn to take responsibility This is a unexpected twist in the play, because if this didn’t happen it would seem that the Birling parents and Gerald have got away unpunished. The Inspector voiced Priestley’s opinions that we cannot make any progress if we don’t work together The Inspector told the characters what had happened to a girl called Eva Smith to make them realise they were guilty of selfishness and because of people like them its why we have wars and still continue to have them.