In What Way Does The Final Scene of Act 1 Demonstrate Dramatically The

In What Way Does The Final Scene of Act 1 Demonstrate Dramatically The

Tensions Between The Characters Which Will Lead to Tragedy?

The final scene of Act 1 in Arthur Miller's 'A View From The Bridge'

demonstrates dramatic tension in a variety of different ways. It is

made fairly clear from the final moments of the act when Alfieri

returns to the stage that the play will end in tragedy. Miller shows

this through dialogue between the characters and in the plentiful

stage directions with which he liberally sprinkles the text. There is

a range of conflict present in the scene. The central conflict

however, involves Eddie's unacknowledged jealousy towards Rodolfo;

this is the strongest.

The above dispute is clearly visible when Eddie goes to visit Alfieri

for the first time. He makes insubstantial claims about Rodolfo's

sexual persuasion without ever calling him a homosexual. Eddie asserts

to Alfieri that "the guy ain't right" and that he "ain't no tenor". He

continues by adding that if one was to enter a room when Rodolfo was

singing, "you wouldn't be looking for him, you'd be looking for her".

He is incredulous that there is no recourse in the law that will

prevent Rodolfo, a submarine or illegal immigrant, from marrying

Catherine.

When he leaves Alfieri's office, Eddie has made it clear he would

never betray the cousins. Nevertheless the audience is made to feel

that he may yet take the recurring theme of personal justice into his

own hands, if not by informing the authorities of their illegal

presence in the country, then by some other means. This is shown by

the extent of Eddie's anger when he says "he's stealing from me" and "[he]

puts his filthy hands on her like a goddam thief." Miller conveys th...

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... the characters that will lead to

tragedy through the way he very carefully structures the play so that

the central tension, Eddie versus Rodolfo, increases as the action

unfolds. This is true of the 'minor' tensions too, e.g. Beatrice

versus Eddie. The tensions themselves are built up by the pithy

dialogue and the meticulous stage directions, e.g. "rubbing his fists

into his palms; diverting their attention; he senses he is exposing

the issue and he is driven on". Miller mimics Greek tragedy with a

"chorus" - Alfieri - who comments on the action. Alfieri does this job

well and is constantly hinting at the tragic ending he knows is going

to unfold. Ironically, after the first few scenes the audience realise

that Alfieri was right at the beginning and the play is going to end

in tragedy. How it will come about is still unclear at the end of Act

1, however.