How does Arthur Miler create a dramatically effective ending?
Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge is centred on a Brooklyn Longshoreman, Eddie Carbone and his family. He is a fairly simple, middle aged man of an Italian descent trying to make a good life for his adoptive daughter (actually his niece by marriage). The play is similar to a traditional Greek Tragedy in that there is a tragic hero whose fate is essentially unavoidable.
The main characters are realistically portrayed and as the audience we are able to empathise with them.
Beatrice is the wife of Eddie, who sticks with him through everything. She is aware of Eddie’s feeling for Catherine from early on and often hints at how their relationship is strained for example when she asks Eddie “When am I going to be a wife again?” This shows tension between them, hinting at what might happen later on.
The two cousins are immigrants coming over from Italy, like many people living in New York in the late 1940’s. Although their brothers, they have very different aims in coming to America.
Marco is shown as very noble, brave and strong. His strength and determination is displayed when he begins work in the docks. He works twice as hard as the other men and gets far more done. Although Eddie originally takes a liking to Marco, his strength is a threat to him.
Rodolfo, the young blonde Italian is the spark that sets of the whole chain of events. He does not have the same intentions as Marco which immediately arouses suspicion in Eddie, as we know he is very family orientated, this causes tension between that gradually builds up.
Throughout the play, we see changes in the characters that are unexpected.
We see B. develop from a quiet character into a much more outspoken, distraught one desperate for her husband to see sense, e.g. in the final scene she says “You want something else, Eddie, and you can never have her!” referring to Catherine. This shows that covering up the truth is no longer...