Explore Inspector Goole’s role within the play essay
Inspector Goole is the prominent character in the play. This is even indicated before the audience is even introduced to him. The name ‘Goole’ sounds to the audience like ‘ghoul’, which is a pun. Priestly uses a pun to make the play more dramatically effective. The Inspector’s name seems to suggest a certain supernatural element to his character. You can see the contrast with this name and with the other characters in the play that all have names like ‘Sheila’ and ‘Eric’. These are names, which could be attributed to countless number of people at the time. The author chose to do this to inform the audience subconsciously that Inspector Goole is significant in the development of the play. Throughout the play, Inspector Goole lives up to the expectations as an attention grabbing and ghoulish character capable of knowing things before characters. He has a tough personality and introduces a key theme in the play, which carries out what the author intended for the characters and the audience to confront. I shall explore Inspector Goole’s role within the play and see how it contrasts to his character, themes of play, dramatic effects and the author’s intentions.
The Inspector’s “calling” is pretty ominous. The word “calls” sounds so casual; as if the Inspector is just dropping in for an informal chat and a cup of tea. However, it is quite the opposite. “Calls” is a deceptive word to use about the Inspector. He operates in a focused and calculating mood. However, at the beginning it seems that he is a casual and spontaneous by the ay he carries out the investigation. The stage directions tell us that he “need not be a big man”, but he creates at once “an impression of massiveness, so...
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...’s role within the play, and how it relates to his character, themes of the play, dramatic effects and J.B. Priestley’s intentions. I have found out that Inspector Goole's role contributes massively to the ending of the play. When speaking, Inspector Goole displays J.B. Priestley's opinions through his speech. From writing this essay, I have learnt that we as people “are all members of one body”, and that we must look after each other. I have learnt that we must not be selfish and that we must treat each other the same. The Inspector sends out a message, Priestley’s message. After writing this essay, I think that An Inspector Calls is an extraordinary play, based on old morality plays. I think that as Inspector Goole is the central protagonist, he is momentous in the growth of the play, and with him in the play, he makes An Inspector Calls exhilarating.
J B Priestley clearly had a strong moral conscience which led him to hold socialist beliefs wanting to bring about change against the capitalists who were exploiting the poor working class. In 'An Inspector Calls' Priestley cleverly uses dramatic techniques, lighting and stage directions to produce an emotionally charged setting to bring home a very important message to the correct society of his day and remains a challenge to the society in which we live in now.
A Comparison of Characters of Mr. Birling and Inspector Goole in J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls
As the play was meant to be produced on stage, rather than to be written as a book format, 'An Inspector Calls' is very dramatic; to capture the audiences' attention, and to keep them thinking as the play develops. Each of the three acts are very dramatic, but I am choosing to analyse the first half of Act One of 'An Inspector Calls', because in my opinion, this is where J.B. Priestley's use of dramatic devices is most evident. This part of the play is very important, because it is the opening scene. Not only must the opening scene of the play grab the audiences' attention, it must also give impressions and introductions to the main characters. J.B. Priestley has used the scene to capture the audiences' attention and imagination, and gives a good introduction to the characters and their personality.
The Dramatic Techniques J.B. Priestley Used to Create and Develop Tension in Act one of An Inspector Calls
'An Inspector Calls' is a morality play - a form of play developed in the late middle ages in which a Christian moral lesson was brought out through the struggle between the forces of good and evil - set in 1912, and revolves around the questioning of a family by Inspector Goole about the suicide of a young woman (Eva Smith) that the family knew.The author, J.B. Priestley is trying to show us what some people's arrogance and selfishness can cause without them even noticing. Priestley was a socialist, therefore by writing this play he was drawing attention to the bad things about capitalism. The Inspector was intending to teach the Birlings that ?...we have to share something. If there?s nothing else, we?ll have to share our guilt? Act One. By saying this, he is telling them they are all as guilty as each other of the suicide of Eva Smith, this also links to Priestley being a socialist because he is putting the Birlings to shame.
The Reflection of J. B. Priestley's Political and Philosophical Beliefs in An Inspector Calls In 1945 J. B. Priestley wrote the play "An Inspector Calls". It is a very tense play; the audience are always on the edge of their seats. It is didactic as it conveys a social and moral meaning to the play.
Examine Priestley's use of dramatic techniques to create tension in the play. Priestly was a socialist writer, and 'An Inspector Calls' is one of the plays in which he tried to display his socialist ideals in. The play was written in the 1940's, a little after the end of the Second World War, and it was first performed in 1946, in Russia, then later in England. Priestly had served in World War 1, and the terrible scenes he saw lead to him having socialist views. He was inspired by other writers whose views he shared, especially George Orwell and H.G.
Priestley's Social Message in An Inspector Calls The play an Inspector Call’s was written at the time of 1945 but is set in 1912. Priestley conveys a lot of social and important messages in this play. He conveys the messages through the character of Inspector Goole. One most important message that Priestley conveys is about Socialism.
JB Priestley’s intent in ‘An Inspector Calls’ was to convey the attitudes of socialism to the minds of the society in the Edwardian Era as he was a passionate believer of the concept. Priestley has attempted this through the employment of ‘Inspector Goole’ in the play. In the play drama is displayed through a variety of methods for the interest of the audience and the communication of personal views from JB Priestley.
Priestley’s Main Aim in An Inspector Calls JB Priestly wrote ‘An Inspector Calls’ to enhance the message that ‘we don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other’. This is something Priestly felt strongly about and he succeeded in representing his views through the character of the Inspector in the play itself. He wanted to communicate the message that our actions, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, always affect others.
An Inspector Calls is a play with lots of political messages as well as social messages. J. B. Priestley believed in socialism and he used large amounts of his plays to try and convince people to his way of thinking. It was written in a time when Britain was ruled by a Labour government and socialist policies were seen to be a good way to go. It was a common way of thinking at that time so Priestley's aim for the play was to influence the unconvinced in society.
One of the ways Priestley expresses his views is by embedding it into the characters of the younger generation: Eric and Sheila. He uses character manipulation using the Inspector to highlight the conflicting opinions, morals and social standards between the two generations. The playwright uses their emotions to unravel their positions in society, and roles within Edwardian society, through the death of someone they all allegedly knew and whose life they affected negatively.
Sheila Birling is another character in ?An Inspector Calls? who also points this out during the play, ?You fool- he knows. Of course he knows. And I hate to think how much he knows that we don?t know yet. You?ll see. You?ll see.?
The theme of selfishness is central to An Inspector Calls. Priestley questions the morality of the Birling and Croft
was genuine and this allows the audience to almost predict their own ending; how will the family react to the arrival of the real Inspector? Will they acknowledge this as a chance to admit to their mistakes or will they try and conceal their guilt? I thoroughly enjoyed studying An Inspector Calls and have learned a great deal about how society has changed and how moral ideals have evolved over time. I found the play effective although because of the way in which society has developed Priestley's morals may not be applicable to life today. As wealth and power have become increasingly more important socialist feelings of responsibility for one another have been progressively weakened.