A View From the Brdige - Sequence 5—50/58 (p35-42)

Q1 The scene starts off with an example of low tension domesticity, Eddie even laughing with Marco. What causes the first rise in tension?

Q2 Beatrice gets the situation back on track with her questions about Italy. Eddie then makes a cheap remark about the conduct of Italian women when their husbands are absent.

a) How does this link to a major theme, one increasingly close to Marco’s heart?
b) Why does Eddie make the remark?

Q3 Examine ways in which Eddie manages to stay on the right side of Marco at this point. P52-53 (p38)
a) Do you think Eddie is being clever here?
b) How does it contrast with his interview with Alfieri in how he puts ideas across?

Q4 (p54/ p39) Why does Marco beg Eddie’s pardon considering that Eddie is the one being openly aggressive?

Q5 The playing of ‘Paper Doll’ once more assumes even greater significance at this point. What do their contrasting reactions to the music show about Catherine?

Q6 How does “He sings, he cooks, he could make dresses” link back to Eddie’s ‘concerns’ in the previous section? What is different about the way he tackles the theme of the manliness here? p55/ p39

Q7 What is symbolic about the paper tearing in two?

Q8 Why is there an abrupt change from talking about Rodolpho’s “skills” to the subject of boxing?

§ Explain what Eddie wants to demonstrate to Catherine by boxing Rodolpho. Comment also on the symbolism.
§ How do Catherine’s and Beatrice’s reactions differ?
§ Why do the stage directions indicate Rodolpho’s ‘certain gleam and smile’ when talking to Eddie post ‘match’?

Q9 Compare Rodolpho’s attitude towards dancing to “Paper Doll” both before and after the boxing ‘match’. What important changes have occurred?

Q10 Analyse in as much detail as you can, why the chair lifting incident is important. Include:
§ the reason Marco does this - what does he wish to demonstrate to Eddie about his (own) attitude to his brother?
§ how it contributes to the wider themes of the play?
§ how have relationships changed by the end of the scene?

The Greek Chorus - Mighty Aphrodite

Oedipus and the Greek Chrous

The Story of Oedipus

- Oedipus was the son of the king of Thebes, Laius.
- Before his birth, an oracle told Laius and his wife Jocasta that if they had a son, the boy would kill Laius and marry Jocasta.
- When the two did indeed have a son, to prevent the prophecy coming true, they bound the infant's feet together and left him in the wilderness to be eaten by wild animals.
- However, he was saved by a shepherd and raised to a man.
- When he left home, Oedipus encountered a chariot on a road. Unable to decide who should pass the road first, the men fought and Oedipus killed the driver in self-defence.
- Naturally, the other driver was his birth father.
- Meanwhile, the people of Thebes have been blighted by famine as they are under the curse of the Sphinx.
- The Sphinx will not lift the curse on Thebes until her riddle is solved.
- Oedipus solves the riddle and the Sphinx throws herself off a cliff. (As you do)
- The people of Thebes are so grateful to Oedipus that they make him king. This means he marries Laius's wife.
- The two have four children together. Ewww...
- Later, through a very convaluted process, Oedipus and Jocatsa discover Oedipus has married his mother and murdered his father.
- He runs to confront Jocasta but she has killed herself after hearing the truth.
- Oedipus takes two pins from her dress and puts out both of his own eyes.

This story was the basis of Sigmund Freud (famous psychologist)'s theory that all men wish to replace their fathers and are attracted to their mothers - apparently men end up with women who remind them, at least subconsciously, of their mum.

The Greek Chorus

The Greek chorus (choros) is a group of twelve or fifteen minor actors in tragic and twenty-four in comic plays of classical Athens.

They could be portraying any characters - for instance, in Aeschylus' Agamemnon, the chorus comprises the elderly men of Argos, whereas in Euripides' The Bacchae, they are a group of eastern bacchants, and in Sophocles' Electra, the chorus is made up of the women of Argos.

Plays of the ancient Greek theatre always included a chorus that offered a variety of background and summary information to help the audience follow the performance.

The Greek chorus comments on themes, and shows how an ideal audience might react to the drama. The chorus also represents, on stage, the general population of the particular story, in sharp contrast with many of the themes of the ancient Greek plays which tended to be about individual heroes, gods, and goddesses.

In many of these plays, the chorus expressed to the audience what the main characters could not say, such as their hidden fears or secrets. The chorus often provided other characters with the insight they need.

Merchant of Venice - sample introduction/ synopsis

The Merchant of Venice was written by William Shakespeare between 1596 and 1598. The play follows the fortunes and misfortunes of two protagonists: Antonio, a Christian merchant, and Shylock, his Jewish counterpart. The play uses this conflict to explore the prejudices between the two men and their religions. As the play continues, we see the manner in which the two protagonists are developed by the events that surround them, and this will be the focus of this essay.

Set in Elizabethan Venice, the play begins with Bassanio, close friend of Antonio, explaining that without a loan from him he will not be able to present himself as a suitor to Portia, a wealthy woman in nearby Belmont. Antonio does not have the sum required (3000 ducats) as all of his ships are at sea, but he agrees to take a loan from the Jew, Shylock, on behalf of his friend. Shylock, seemingly for fun, sets the penalty for not paying the loan as “a pound of your fair flesh”. Having secured the loan, Bassanio travels to Padua where he wins Portia’s hand in marriage. Before leaving, though, Bassanio and Antonio’s Christian friends assisted with the eloping of Shylock’s only daughter and a substantial amount of his fortune. This leaves Shylock furious. While in Belmont, Bassanio learns that all of Antonio’s ships have sunk and he will forfeit on the loan. Using Portia’s fortune, he flies to pay the bond for his friend but Shylock refuses anything but the pound of flesh he is due. This is only avoided when Portia (disguised as a doctor at court) indicates that Shylock may only take the pound of flesh, but “not a drop of Christian blood”. Shylock is undone and as punishment for his attempt on Antonio’s life he is condemned to become a Christian and give up half of his fortune.

A View from the Bridge - Sequence 3—33/45 (22-29)

Two weeks have passed.

Eddie’s position has now moved from inside to outside the house as he awaits the return from the cinema of Catherine and Rodolpho. Despite his best efforts she has escaped into the big bad world. Importantly Alfieri’s words suggest that the man who expected to live a dull, ordinary life, to go bowling, eat, get old has now acquired a “destiny”. Thus Miller steps up the concept of Eddie Carbone as a tragic hero.

Q1 How does Eddie’s attitude towards Rodolpho contribute to the theme of manliness in the play? Does his aggressive, hostile stance ironically demonstrate some of the worst traits associated with masculinity? Refer to p41 (p23) also.

Q2 What is the significance of Beatrice’s “When am I gonna be a wife again Eddie?” (p36/ 24) How does it contribute to the themes of love and manliness?

Eddie’s excuse about the presence of the submarines does not hold water (no pun intended!) They have been there two weeks; relations between the couple non-existent for three months.

Q3 Louis and Mike enter (they are minor characters as are Tony and the Liparis.)
What is their attitude to Rodolpho?
Why is Eddie defensive, given his earlier willingness to criticise the boy?

Q4 What is your personal response to Louis and Mike’s attitude to Rodolpho? Do they like or mistrust him? Study their words carefully when coming to a conclusion. p39/ p25-6

Q5 When Rodolpho and Catherine return, how does Eddie react to Rodolpho’s invitation and what effect will this have on the audience? How does this contrast with his initial reaction to Catherine (see stage directions).

A scene of high tension between Eddie and Catherine occurs after Rodolpho’s (effectively) forced departure. Eddie uses emotional blackmail then an accusation of disrespect followed by more serious accusations.


Q6 Before Eddie’s exit, how does Miller convey, using stage directions, the turmoil that both he and Beatrice are experiencing at the moment? (p42/ p29)

Q7 How does Beatrice help Catherine ‘grow up’ in this section?
Do you think her motives are selfless?

Q8 Evaluate the stage directions about Catherine being “strangely moved at the prospect” (of saying goodbye to Eddie) and “she is on the edge of tears as though as familiar world has shattered.”

Q9 Write a paragraph expressing your thoughts on these characters by the end of the scene:

Eddie
Beatrice
Catherine
Rodolpho

A View from the Bridge – Section 2 – p26-33 (p15-22)

Q1 It has been said that Alfieri’s commentary is almost biblical in the way he presents Eddie’s story. What is your personal response to this style? (p26/p15)

Q2 How do Rodolpho and Marco differ in their reaction to the house in which the Carbones live? What does this suggest about their personalities in general?

Q3 Examine Rodolpho’s language use. How does his use of imagery (and Miller’s stage directions) add to the impression we have of him so far? (p28/p17)

Q4 What is significant about the stage directions relating to Eddie - “he is coming more and more to address Marco only”? (p29/p18)

Q5 (p29/p18) How are we reminded of:
§ the poverty – “my wife feeds him from her own mouth”
§ the organised Mafia hold over the ‘submarines’ in this section? – “you two will be alright. ‘Til you pay them off…”

Q6 Why does Rodolpho sing only after ‘the nod of permission from Marco’?

Q7 How do the words of the song ‘Paper Doll’ parallel the Eddie/Catherine relationship?

Q8 How does Eddie seek to stop Rodolpho’s singing and how do the stage directions indicate that he is more agitated than he wants to reveal?

Q9 What does the high heels incident symbolise:
§ about Catherine
§ Eddie’s attitude to his niece?

The stage directions at the end of the scene are extremely significant in demonstrating Eddie’s attitude to the burgeoning Catherine/Rodolpho relationship.

Q10 What is significant about Catherine offering the sugar to Rodolpho?
Think about

a) the obvious being ‘sweet on somebody’ symbolism and
b) the transfer of affection /wifely ‘duty’.

A View from the Bridge - BBC Links

This is the link to the BBC Bitesize section. It has a few quizzes and three video clips which might help for revision. It's very basic, though, so don't start thinking Higher is easy just because this is so simple.

The Merchant of Venice – Key Quotations

Task: Below is a list of key quotations from the play. Note down the name of the speaker, and give a summary of the context.

For example:
Try what my credit can in Venice doTo furnish you to Belmont, and fair Portia. Act 1, Scene 1

Answer: This is spoken by Antonio as he attempts to give his own credit’s reputation to Bassanio in order to give him the means to visit Portia.


1. I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano, A stage, where every man must play a part; And mine a sad one. Act I scene 1

2. In Belmont is a lady richly leftAnd she is fair.Act 1, Scene 1

3. You know me well, and herein spend but timeTo wind about my love with circumstanceAnd out of doubt you do me now more wrong. Act 1, Scene 1, lines 160-163

4. If you repay not on such a daylet the forfeit be an equal pound of your fair flesh. Act 1, Scene 3

5. All that glisters is not gold;Often have you heard that told;Many a man his life hath soldBut my outside to behold. Act II, sc. 7.

6. Young in limbs, in judgement old. Act II, sc. 7.

7. But love is blind, and lovers cannot see The pretty follies that themselves commit. Act II Scene 6.

8. If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?Act 3, Scene 1

9. The villainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard, but I will better the instruction. Act 3, Scene 1

10. Ornament is but the guiled shore to a most dangerous sea. Act III, sc. 2
There is no vice so simple but assumes some mark of virtue on his outward parts. Act III, sc. 2.

11. The quality of mercy is not strained. Act 4, Scene 1

12. If every ducat in six thousand ducatsWere in six parts, and every part a ducatI would not draw them. I would have my bond.Act 4, Scene 1

13. But mercy is above this sceptered sway;It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,It is an attribute of God himself. Act 4, Scene 1

14. And I beseech you, Wrest once the law to your authority, To do a great right, do a little wrong, And curb this cruel devil of his will. Act 4, Scene 4

15. The pound of flesh that I demand of himIs dearly bought. Act 4 Scene 1

16. I'll not be made a soft and dull eyed fool!

17. The devil can cite scripture for his purpose. Act I Sc. 3.

A View from the Bridge - Themes, Symbols, Motifs

Themes

Naming Names

Arthur Miller was called to testify in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee to name names of communist sympathizers in 1956, the height of the McCarthy Era. Miller refused to do so and was heralded by the arts community for his strength of conviction and loyalty. In 1957, Miller was charged with contempt, a ruling later reversed by the U.S. Court of Appeals. Miller, like Eddie Carbone, was faced with the problem of choosing to be American or not, specifically by naming names of people who were doing (what were considered then) unlawful acts. Miller's own struggle with this issue is very present in A View from the Bridge. Unlike Eddie Carbone, Miller chose to be loyal to his fellow artists, but like Carbone, Miller went against the cultural consensus at the time. Miller, in the play, has reversed the scene—rather than the mass culture supporting the extrication of possible communists, Miller chose to script a community that accepted and protected unlawful people. The consequences and eventual repercussions of naming names, for Eddie Carbone, are drastic. Miller used this play to strongly condemn the McCarthy trials and those who named the names of innocent artists.

The irrational human animal

Eddie loses control of his actions in the play. Driven and possessed by incestuous love for his niece, Eddie resorts to desperate measures to protect his identity and name in the community. Alfieri's commentary often remarks on this theme. Alfieri seems constantly amazed by Eddie's actions and his own reactions to the events of the play. Alfieri sees his own irrational thinking, just as he recognizes Eddie's irrational behavior. Irrationality is also how Alfieri defines acting wholly. The human animal becomes irrational when he acts fully on his instincts—just as Eddie does in the play. Alfieri proposes that humans must act as a half, or restrain some of our instinctual needs or wants for reason. Nonetheless, Alfieri still admires the irrational—the unleashed human spirit that reacts as it will.

Allegiance to community law

There is great conflict between community and American law in the play. The community abides by Sicilian-American customs protects illegal immigrants within their homes, values respect and family, is hard working and know the shipping culture, has strong associations with names, believes in trust and wants revenge when a member has been wronged. Some of these values, however, come in conflict with those of the American system of justice. Eddie Carbone chooses to turn against his community and abide by the state laws. He loses the respect of his community and friends—the name and personal identity he treasures. Eddie Carbone, with a stronger allegiance to the community, reverts back to another custom of Sicilian-Americans: revenge. Not only is Eddie pulled back to the values of his community, but the final victor of the play is symbolic of community values—the Italian, Marco. Thus, the small community is stronger than American law.

Motifs

Homosexuality

Although specifically articulated, homosexuality or what makes a man "not right" is a persistent theme of the novel. Eddie obviously identifies Rodolpho as homosexual because Rodolpho sings, cooks and sews a dress for Catherine. Eddie also questions Rodolpho because he does not like to work and has bleached blonde hair that makes him look more feminine. Eddie gives Rodolpho several tests of his masculinity. In the first he teaches Rodolpho how to box and the second, more blatantly, Eddie kisses Rodolpho on the lips. Many critics think that this kiss is a sign of Eddie's own suppressed homosexual feelings, an easy parallel with his kiss with Catherine. Miller seems to take no stand either way, and the sexuality of Rodolpho or Eddie is unclear. However, the stereotypes of the gay man and societal implications of being gay are obvious. Louis and Mike, when talking about Rodolpho, clearly think there is something wrong with him and Eddie speaks directly to Alfieri about the specific things that bother him about Rodolpho.

Womanhood

The idea of what makes a woman or what defines a woman is very prevalent in the text. Catherine and Beatrice talk specifically about the terms in their conversation in Act I. Beatrice thinks Catherine needs to grow up and become a woman. To do this she needs to decide by herself whether she wants to marry Rodolpho. She needs to stop walking around the house in her slip in front of Eddie, and not sit on the edge of the tub while Eddie shaves his beard. In essence, being a woman means reserve and modesty in front of men, and independently making decisions. The idea of independence or separation from Eddie is coupled with the decision to find another male to attach to, a husband. Catherine's attempt at womanhood is deciding to marry Rodolpho and follow his rules rather than Eddie's.

Community

Community is a powerful context for the play; it dictates very specific norms and rules for the family that controls the actions of the characters. All of the characters are forced to reconcile between American culture and the Italian community culture that surrounds. The cultural and moral difference between the two provides one of the great conflicts in the play. The tight community around them also creates great tension in the Carbone family because they are constantly being watched. The neighbors knew when Marco and Rodolpho arrived, saw Marco spit in Eddie's face and Eddie die by Marco's hand. The community is the watcher; the group controls and monitors the behavior of every member. Although Eddie takes a substantial turn away from the community by calling the Immigration Bureau, he still needs acceptance and spends his last moments fighting Marco for his good name in the community.

Symbols

High Heels

For Catherine, high heels are representative of womanhood, flirtation and sexiness. She has just started wearing high heels around the community and to school and obviously enjoys the attention she gets from men. They are also symbolic as a rite-of-passage to womanhood. As Eddie strongly disapproves of her wearing them, Catherine purposefully rebels against her uncle every time she puts them on. The high heels give her sexual power over men—they look, stare and gawk at her beauty. Eddie thinks the heels are threatening for the same reasons Catherine loves them. Eddie is fearful that, if she looks attractive, some man will ask her out and she will leave the house. Eddie has a powerful reaction when she wears the high heels, as if she must take them off so they do not arouse him or anyone else.

Brooklyn Bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge is symbolic of a pathway of opportunity to Manhattan and also the linkage between American and Italian cultures. The bridge, which is very close to the Red Hook community, is a constant reminder of American opportunity and industry. From the bridge, one can see the community below and, like the title of the book, one can see the entire community and seek greater abstract meaning from his viewpoint. Alfieri is symbolic of the person on the bridge looking down upon the Red Hook community or, perhaps, he is the bridge himself, allowing the people to cross into Manhattan and modern, intellectual American culture. Alfieri attempts to unite the American laws with Italian cultural practices and negotiate a place in between the two. Alfieri, narrating the story from the present looking back to the past, has the same vantage point as one looking from the bridge. After some time passes, he is able to process the events and see the greater societal and moral implications it has for the community as a whole.

Italy

The origin of the majority of the people in the Red Hook community, Italy represents homeland, origin and culture. What the country means to characters greatly varies. Catherine associates Italy with mystery, romance and beauty. Rodolpho, on the other hand, is actually from Italy, and thinks it is a place with little opportunity that he would like to escape from. All of the characters, as much as love the benefit of living in the U.S., still strongly hold to Italian traditions and identify it as home. Italy is the basis of the cultural traditions in Red Hook and unites the community in common social practices and religion.

Merchant of Venice Homework

I'll try and put the court scene up here later.

Read again the scenes in which Shylock appears. For each scene write a paragraph describing your feelings about Shylock at this point in the play.

a) Act One, Scene Three Shylock and Antonio agree terms for the loan

How like a fawning publican he looks!
I hate him for he is a Christian…

b) Act Two, Scene Five Shylock leaves his house in Jessica’s care

But yet I’ll go in hate, to feed upon
The prodigal Christian

c) Act Three Scene One Shylock talks about his losses. Antonio’s ships are lost

I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes?..

I would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear…

d) Act Three, Scene Three Antonio pleads with Shylock

Gaoler, look to him, tell not me of mercy

e) Act Four, Scene One The scene in court

I crave the law,
The penalty and forfeit of my bond.