In the play “A View from the Bridge” by Arthur Miller, the theme of betrayal is very significant as it is presented in many ways and on numerous occasions. ... Despite his promise made, in the end Marco betrays his brother, killing Eddie with a knife .
Who is Alfieri What is his role in the play?
Alfieri makes six appearances on stage throughout the play. He is a portly, good-humoured, and thoughtful lawyer who was born in Italy . He also acts as the play’s narrator, in imitation of ancient Greek tragedies where a group of actors commented on proceedings and were known as the ‘chorus’.
Who is Alfieri in A View from the Bridge?
Alfieri is the symbolic bridge between American law and tribal laws . Alfieri, an Italian-American, is true to his ethnic identity. He is a well-educated man who studies and respects American law, but is still loyal to Italian customs.
How does Miller use Alfieri?
Miller uses Alfieri to constantly shift the audience’s view of Eddie by deploying Alfieri every time Eddie shows a negative trait . I think Alfieri finally does inspire sympathy for Eddie although some people may not sympathise with him but completely dislike him because of his negative behaviour.
Is Eddie the protagonist in A View from the Bridge?
Eddie Carbone is the tragic protagonist of The View from the Bridge. He is constantly self-interested, wanting to promote and protect his innocence. ... In Eddie’s world, he imagines protecting Catherine from marriage or any male relationship and wants her for himself.
What does Alfieri Symbolise?
Alfieri represents the difficult stretch , embodied in the Brooklyn Bridge, from small ethnic communities filled with dock laborers to the disparate cosmopolitan wealth and intellectualism of Manhattan. The old and new worlds are codified in the immigrant-son Alfieri.
What does Alfieri mean by settle for half?
When he says “settle for half” he means that the community of Red Hook rarely resolves its feuds with violence anymore , like they did back when Al Capone roamed the streets. Now they compromise. They rely on the law. ... When Eddie first comes to him for help, Alfieri tells him, “You have no recourse in the law” (1.546).
What is the importance of Alfieri?
Alfieri not only elevates Eddie’s status to that of a tragic hero in the play , but he also gives the audience a perspective of Carbone’s suffering. Alfieri represents the metaphorical bridge between the immigrant slums, Red Hook, and the affluent world of the American dream, Manhattan.
What do we learn about the Red Hook community through the story about Vinny?
Through the story about Vinny, we learn that the Red Hook Community stands together . What is Eddie’s opinion on what Vinny did? Eddie’s opinion towards what happened to Vinny was right. He think getting kicked out of his house was the right punishment because he got what he deserved for snitching on his family.
How does Alfieri describe the setting?
The setting of Red Hook is a poor community and Alfieri creates the atmosphere of Red Hooks by describing it as “the slum that faces the bay seaward side of Brooklyn Bridge .” There is a lot of cultural context linked into the story as Alfieri comes from the same Italian background as Eddie; therefore he understands ...
Why did Eddie kiss Rodolpho?
Rodolpho stands up for Catherine, but is also claiming her as his own. Eddie’s kissing Rodolpho has unclear intentions . ... Eddie says that Rodolpho “didn’t give me the right kind of fight,” and tells Alfieri that he kissed Rodolpho so Catherine would see what Rodolpho really is.
Is Eddie in love with Catherine?
He begins the play as a well-liked member of his neighborhood community, and has a strong sense of honor. His fatherly feelings for Catherine are gradually revealed to be an extreme, oppressive form of love : he doesn’t want her to grow up and has misgivings about her leaving the house.
Why is Eddie a tragic hero?
In Miller’s play Eddie Carbone is the tragic hero, whose flaw – his obsession and inappropriate love for his niece Catherine which leads to him doing anything to try and keep her, causes the tragedy and his own death.
What does Alfieri foreshadow happening?
As well as foreshadowing Eddie’s death, Alfieri tells the audience that there was an inevitability about the outcome that he ‘could have finished the whole story that afternoon ‘ and especially in the beginning when he warn the audience that something bad is going to happen resulting in death ‘run its bloody course’.
What is Eddie attitude to the changes in Catherine?
He was unable to cope with Catherine in her increasing maturity , which he thought it would mean ‘ losing’ her to Rodolfo. Therefore it made Eddie confused with his feelings whether it is protectiveness or obsession towards Catherine. It was something that he was unable to recognize or understand for himself.
What functions does Alfieri have in the play when he appears on stage what purpose does he serve?
Alfieri functions as the chorus of the play, commenting on the action and the characters carrying out the action, but ultimately set apart and serving as a medium between the audience and the action of the play .
