A View From the Bridge Intro

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Introduction

A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE

Does anyoneknow whatbridge this

is?


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ENGLISH LITERATURE EXAM

ONE PAPER (2 hours)

Section A: PROSE

Close reading of extract from set text

Extended writing on set text

Section B: DRAMA

Close reading of extract from set text

Extended writing on set text

Section C: POETRY

Guided response to unseen poem

We will be reading OfMice and Men

We will be readingAView from the Bridge


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Unit Objectives

yAt the end of this unit, you will be able to:

y Respond to text critically, sensitively and in detail,selecting appropriate ways to convey your response,

using textual evidence where appropriate.y Explore how language, structure and forms contribute

to the meaning of texts.

y Explore relationships and comparisons between texts,

selecting and evaluating relevant material.y Relate texts to your social, cultural and historical

contexts and literary traditions.


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Greek Tragedy

y Does anyone know what a Greek tragedy entails?

Prologue

Greek tragedies often contain aprologue, where an individual

character gives backgroundinformation to the audience, which

allows them to understand thecontext of the upcoming drama.

Tragic Hero

In ancient tragedies, the maincharacter (the protagonist) usuallyhas a tragic flaw (hamartia), whichoften brings about their owndownfall. Their downfall oftenbrings the audience to feel pity orfear. Often, the actions of a tragichero affects their whole community.

Keep these ideas in mindwhilst reading the play


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Information about the play

y Written by Arthur Miller in 1955.

y He got the idea for the plot from a lawyer friend, whotold him about a longshoreman who had ratted to theImmigration Bureau on two brothers, his ownrelatives, who were living illegally in his home, in orderto break an engagement between one of them and hisniece.

y Coupled with his interest in the docks in New Yorks

Brooklyn harbour, and the Italian immigrantcommunities that primarily worked and lived there, hecreated what became the playA View from the Bridge.


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y From what Ive told you so far, can you answerthe following questions?

y Where does the play take place?y When (time period) does the play take place?

y What is the general plot of the play?

y What sort of characters will be involved?

y Who will be the tragic hero?

y What will be his downfall?


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Cast of Characters

yAlfieri - lawyer

y Eddie Italian immigrant

y Beatrice - Eddies wife

y Catherine their orphaned niece

y Rodolfo and Marco Beas cousins


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Themes

yAtheme is an idea that runs through a text. A textmay have one theme or many. Understanding thethemes makes the text more than 'just' a story - it

becomes something more significant, becausewe're encouraged to think deeper about the storyand work out what lies beyond the plot.

yYou will likely encounter a theme-based question

on your English Literature exam, so it is a goodidea to really know and understand the themes ofthe play.


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Love

y There are different kinds of love from whatcharacters do we learn about the different sorts oflove?


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Justice and the Law

y From the very beginning, it is established thatjustice and the law are going to be important inthe play.

y The play encourages us to ask what is justice?What makes justice?


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Honour

y Connecting the themes ofJustice and the Lawand Love is the theme ofHonour.

y Honour is shown to be very important, especially

to the male characters. It means far more to themthan the law. To be honourable is to be respected.


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Act One

y The stage directions:

y What clues do the stage directions give us about thesetting of the play.

y What clues do the stage directions give us about thecharacterswho will inhabit the stage?


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Act 1: The prologue

y Continue on, reading Alfieris prologue, stoppingjust before Eddie starts to speak.

yWhat does Alfieris prologue tell us about justice

and the law?yWhat sort of history surrounds the characters in

the play, and why do you think Miller has includedthis information?

y How does Alfieri describe the setting?

yWhat does he foreshadow happening?


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Act 1:Eddie and Catherines initial conversation

yWhat sort ofrelationshipdo Eddie and

Catherinehave? Usespecificexamples from

the text toback up yourpoint.


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Act 1:Discussing the arrival of the cousins

yWhat clues are there that the cousinscoming to America isnt entirelylegit?

y How is the theme of honour evidentin this section of the scene?

yWhat impressions do you get of

y Eddie

y Beatrice

y Their relationship


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Act 1:Catherines News

y How does Eddie react tothe news of Catherines

job? Why?yWhat sort of relationship

to Beatrice and Catherinehave?


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Task

y Create a table like the one below in your notes, to record what we knowso far about Eddie, Catherine and Beatrice. Use quotations from theplay to support your comments. This will aid you later when you revise.

CHARACTER WHAT WE LEARN QUOTES

Eddie - Protective of, and concerned for, hisniece Catherine.

You look like one of them girls thatwent to college

Catherine

Beatrice


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Giving Advice to the Actors

y On your Literature exam, you could be asked aquestion that invites you to give instruction/adviceto a person playing a character in the play.

If you were directing aperformance of the play, howwould you advise the actorsplaying these three main roles?Give reasons for your commentson:

Tone of voice for each characterTheir physical movementsThe use of costume and makeup


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Act 1:Eddie Caves In

yWhat are your thoughts and feelings regardingEddies reaction to Catherines work proposal?

y What sort of hopes does Eddie have for his niece?

y Beatrice mentions that Eddie always seems to havean excuse for keeping Catherine close. What areyour thoughts and feelings about this?

yWhy does Eddie give in?

yWhat advice does Eddie give Catherine? Whatdoes this tell us about his character?


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Act 1:Vinny Bolzano

y How does the mood in thehouse change, once Eddie hasaccepted Catherines news?Why?

y

Why are Eddie and Beatrice sonervous?y What happened to Vinny?y What do we learn about the

Red Hook community, through

the story about Vinny?y What is Eddies opinion on

what Vinny did?


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Consider the Following....


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Act 1:The Arrival

y How do the two men think ofEddies home?

yWhat are their hopes for

coming to America?y How do the two men treat

Eddie?

yWhat does Catherine think of

the two men?y How do Marco and Rodolfo

describe life in Italy?


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Act 1:Marco and Rodolfo

yWhat is Rodolfosdream? Is it realistic?

yWhat is Marcos

dream? Is it realistic?yWhy does Eddie stop

Rodolfo from singing?

yWhat sort ofrelationship do Marcoand Rodolfo have?


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Act 1 :Marco and Rodolfo

y Create a chart, similar to the one we created earlier,for Marco and Rodolpho

CHARACTER WHAT WE LEARN QUOTES

Marco

Rodolfo


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Act 1:Growing Suspicion

y How does Eddie react toCatherines shoes?

yWhy does Eddie start to viewRodolfo with suspicion?


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Act 1:Foreshadowing

Who can ever know what will be discovered?Eddie Carbone had never expected to have adestiny. A man works, raises his family, goes

bowling, eats, gets old, and then he dies.

Now, as the weeks passed, there was a future,there was a trouble that would not go away.

What does Alfieris speech tell

us about:

How much time has passed.What has happened, or whatwill happen?


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Act 1:Eddies Growing Concerns

yWhat do we learn has happened in the weeks thathave passed?

yWhat is Eddies view of Rodolfo? Use examples

from the text to support your answer.yWhat is Beatrices view of Rodolfo? Use examples

from the text to support your answer.

y Ofhim?Boy, you sure dont think much of me.

What does this quote tell us about Eddie?y How does Eddie rate Rodolfos masculinity, versus

that of Marco? Why do you think he does this?


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Act 1:Marital Troubles

yWhy is Beatrice upset?

y How does Eddie react?

yWhy do you thinkEddie has had troublesin his marriage?

y How does Beatrice feel

about Eddies concernfor Catherine? Is shejustified?


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Act 1:An Outsiders Opinion

yWhat do Mike and Louis think ofMarco and Rodolfo? Use specificexamples from the text to support

your answer.y How does Eddie react to their praise

for Rodolfo?

yWhat does this tell us about his

feelings for Rodolfo, and about Eddieas a character?


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Act 1:Eddie and Catherine Talk

y How does Eddie treat Rodolfo?

y How does Rodolfo treat Eddie?

y What does Catherine think of the relationship

between Eddie and Rodolfo? What does this mean forher future?

y What clues are there that Eddie is uncomfortable withCatherine growing up?

y How does Eddie react when he finds up Catherine likesRodolfo?

y What are your thoughts and feelings regarding Eddiestheory about Rodolfo?


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Act 1:Beatrice and Catherine Talk

y How does Beatrice treat and regard Catherine?

yWhat does Beatrice think of the relationshipbetween Catherine and Eddie?

yWhat does Beatrice encourage Catherine to do?y Do you feel that Beatrice has any ulterior motives

behind her advice?

y

How has the connection between Eddie andCatherine changed?


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Alfieris speech to the audience

It was at this time that hefirst came to me.... Iremember him now as hewalked through my

doorway His eyes werelike tunnels; my firstthought was that he hadcommitted a crime.

What sort of image does this paint in your mind ofEddie?What does it suggest?Has Eddie, at this point, committed a crime?


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Act 1:Eddie consults Alfieri

y Alfieri tells Eddie theres nothing illegal about agirl falling in love with an immigrant. Is thisreally what is bothering Eddie?

y

How does Eddie judge Rodolfos intentions?Does Alfieri buy into his theory? Do you?

y Examine the way Eddie speaks in this scene. Howwould you direct an actor to do these lines?

y What does Eddie imply about Rodolfosmasculinity? He isjustified in his claims?

y Can Eddie use the law to help him at this stage?


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...every mans got somebody he loves, heh?But sometimes...theres too much. Youknow? Theres too much, and it goes

where it mustnt. A niece, sometimes evena daughter, and he never realizes it, but

through the years there is too much lovefor the daughter, there is too much love for

the niece. Do you understand what Im

saying to you?

What isAlfieri trying

to say toEddie at thispoint?

Is there anyelement of awarning inhis advice?


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WHAT OTHER WAY CAN ITEND?


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yWhy does Eddie get angry when Alfieri says thatCatherine cannot marry him?


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There are times when you want to spread analarm, but nothing has happened. I knew, Iknew then and there I could have finished

the whole story that afternoon. It wasnt asthough there was a mystery to unravel. Icould see every step coming, step after step,like a dark figure walking down the halltoward a certain door. I knew where he washeading for, I knew where he was going toend. And I sat here many afternoons askingmyself why, being an intelligent man, I wasso powerless to stop it...

Examine the languageused by Alfieri.

What clues does he

give us that somethingbad is going tohappen?

Why does he feel

powerless?

Could whateverhappens have beenprevented? How?


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Alfieris role in the play

yWhat functions does

Alfieri have in the play?When he appears onstage, what purposedoes he serve?


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Act 1:A Big Happy Family?

y How does Eddie cause discord in the family?

y How are Eddie and Rodolfo different from eachother?

y How do Marco and Rodolfo describe life in Italy?How does it differ from that in America?

yWhat sort of relationship do Marco an Rodolfohave?


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Act 1: The Fight

yWhy does Catherine ask Rodolfo to dance?

y How do the other characters react to the coupledancing?

y

What more does Eddie learn about Rodolfo thatmakes him uneasy?

y Do you feel he is sincere when he says hed be likein a dress store?

y

Why does Eddie offer to teach Rodolfo to box?yWhat is Marco trying to prove by lifting the chair?

How does both Eddie and the others react?


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Task

yYou are to choose one of the following:

Write a letter, as

Marco, to his wifeand children back

home in Italy.

Use the worksheetprovided as a

prompt.

Write a letter, as

Rodolfo, to hisfriends back home in

Italy.

Use the worksheetprovided as a

prompt.

A View From the Bridge Intro

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