Mr Birling Made Dramatic Analysis

How is the interrogation of Mr Birling made dramatic. What does this extract reveal about the themes of the play?
Priestley introduces us to each character in the first few pages of his short play “An Inspector Calls”. It is established that we are thrust upon a political marriage between the Birling family and Gerald Croft, son of the owner of Crofts Ltd, a competitor to Birling & Co. The family are celebrating the engagement of Gerald Croft to Mr Birling’s daughter, Sheila just before an Inspector rings the doorbell. After this interrogation the Birling family will never be the same again. Before the Inspector arrives, we see Mr Birling at the height of his pomposity “Yes, you don’t know what some of the boys get up to nowadays...I
However these words do not describe the Inspector’s physical presence therefore creating dramatic impact. “He speaks carefully, weightily and has a disconcerting habit of looking hard at the person he addresses before actually speaking”, this is highly opposite to Birling’s myopia which foreshadows his scrutiny. As Mr Birling and the Inspector meet we can see Mr Birling almost at once trying to assert rank and pull fame by association “you know, Crofts Limited” and show experience trying to intimidate the Inspector “You’re new, aren’t you?” this is an example of Priestly creating dramatic tension between the Inspector and Mr Birling from the offset of the interrogation – introducing another theme of the play that Mr Birling undermines the Inspector from the foundation of the interrogation. This is emphasised with the stage direction “with a touch of impatience”. The Inspectors short sentences at first give him enough rope to hang Mr Birling with, which is indicative to the way he works where he increases dramatic conflict by him saying not much in comparison to Mr Birling saying too much. The Inspector’s way of interrogation continues with him not saying a lot but Mr Birling replying with didactic speeches which is dramatic. This is portrayed in a stage direction “the Inspector interposes
Priestley now introduces the Inspector with sarcasm and subtly challenges Mr Birling which changes the tone of Arthur Birling shown in his implication of long speeches now until the end of his interrogation. We see a change in Arthur Birling, “I don’t like that tone” sounds paternal and shocked with his use of emotive language which makes this part of the interrogation more dramatic. Towards the end of the interrogation the Inspector says “they might. But after all it’s better to ask for the earth than to take it” this is the Inspector’s voice of social conscience, imitating what Birling has done by taking away livelihood. At this point the Inspector is slowly drawing Eric into his father’s interrogation. Birling’s stage direction of “staring at the Inspector” and says “What did you say your name was, Inspector?” shows that he is trying to intimidate him, perhaps he realises he isn’t getting anywhere and uses the authority he thinks he has to do this. The Inspector cool, calm and collected replies and literally spells his name out “Goole. G double O-L-E” trying to make a joke, so he can be seen as light-hearted, aswell as the Inspector’s self satisfied lines that build up tension and drama and come as a shock to