Miller's Use of the First Scene in A View From the Bridge

Miller's Use of the First Scene in A View From the Bridge

Miller uses the first scene of the play to prepare the audience for

the dramatic conclusion of the play to good effect. He uses dramatic

irony and fore shading to give the audience hints on what will later

happen in the play, the audience also knows what is going to happen

because he follows the rules of a Greek tragedy. Millar makes you

realise how important justice, law, family and community are by what

the characters talk about in the first scene. Alfieri's speech helps

to set the scene and give us some information about the community.

This essay will cover points such as the form that is a Greek tragedy,

the structure and dramatisation, the social cultural and historical

background and the characterisation.

This play is a Greek tragedy, a Greek tragedy is were a hero or a

royal or noble person later dies or gets murdered because of a fatal

flaw in their personality, it also has a chorus who comments on what

is happening. This may not seem the case in 'A View From a Bridge'

because Eddie isn't royal or noble but he is still a respected member

of a community and head of a household. Millar does this because it

was written in America in the 1850's so people can relate more to the

story line.

Eddie is like any ordinary man, he has to much pride and is stubborn a

example of this is when he says 'I think its too short, ain't it' this

shows how he is showing his opinion without considering what Catherine

wants.

He also has inappropriate feelings for Catherine because he is to over

protective of her and wants her for himself.

The chorus is another part of a Greek tragedy and in this play it is

in the form of Alfieri he has a speech at the beginning of the first

scene and that introduces the main ideas of law, justice and

community, he also introduces the hero and suggests a tragic ending