'An Inspector Calls' on the Stage Flashcards
The Writer's Techniques
Which room in the Birlings’ house is the play set in?
The play is set in the dining room of the Birlings’ house.
True or False? The costumes worn by the Birlings and Gerald should create the impression that they are dressed casually.
False. The Birlings and Gerald are all dressed in “evening dress of the period”, with the men wearing “tails and white ties”. The characters’ costumes show that they have just finished a formal meal and that they’re from the upper classes.
Give a stage direction Priestley uses to show the Inspector’s sense of authority.
The Inspector creates an “impression of massiveness, solidarity and purposefulness”, which suggests that he acts with great authority. He also speaks with authority — e.g. he speaks “impressively” and is twice described as “taking charge”.
Why do you think Priestley chose to set the play in just one room?
Setting the play in just one room makes the characters seem trapped as they face the Inspector’s questions. The claustrophobic setting also hints at how the Birlings are self-centred and close-minded — when the play begins, they are ignorant of the lives of ordinary people and are only worried about their own lives.
At the start of the play, the lightning is “pink and intimate”. When the Inspector arrives, it becomes “brighter and harder”. What does this suggest to the audience about how the Inspector might affect the Birling family?
The brighter and harder lighting suggests to the audience that there might be a change of mood in the play. It implies that the pleasant, relaxed atmosphere is going to be disrupted by the Inspector’s presence. The new lighting could also hint that the Birlings will be examined and put under the spotlight by the Inspector.
