Mr Birling

Question 1

“You’re just the kind of … I always wanted” Act 1

Answer 1

son-in-law

Question 2

“I’m talking as a hard-headed, … man of business […] there isn’t a chance of war” Act 1

Answer 2

practical

Question 3

“unsinkable, … unsinkable” Act 1

Answer 3

absolutely

Question 4

“a man has to make his own way - has to look after …” Act 1

Answer 4

himself

Question 5

“as if we were all mixed up together like … in a hive - community and all that nonsense” Act 1

Answer 5

bees

Question 6

“I can’t accept any …” Act 1

Answer 6

responsibility

Question 7

“It’s my duty to keep … costs down” Act 1

Answer 7

labour

Question 8

“She’d had a lot to say - far … - so she had to go” Act 1

Answer 8

too much

Question 9

“If you don’t come down … on some of these people, they’ll soon be asking for the earth” Act 1

Answer 9

sharply

Question 10

“It’s one of the happiest nights of my life … your engagement to Sheila means a tremendous lot to me” Act 1

Question 11

“for lower costs and higher prices” Act 1

Question 12

“You’ll hear some people say that war is inevitable. And to that I say - fiddlesticks!” Act 1

Question 13

“If we were all responsible for everything that happened to everybody … it would be very awkward wouldn’t it?” Act 1

Question 14

“Perhaps I ought to warn you that he is an old friend of mine. We play golf together” Act 1

Question 15

“I don’t like the tone nor the way you’re handling this enquiry” Act 2

Question 16

“Is there any reason why my wife should answer questions from you, Inspector?” Act 2

Question 17

“I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can” Act 3

Question 18

“Probably a Socialist or some sort of crank” Act 3

Question 19

“I care. I was almost certain for a Knighthood in the next honours list” Act 3

Question 20

“There’s every excuse for what both your mother and I did” Act 3

Question 21

“There’ll be a scandal … and who here will suffer for that more than I will?” Act 3

Question 22

“(jovially) But the whole thing’s different now” Act 3

Question 23

“Arthur Birling is a heavy-looking, rather portentous man in his middle fifties with fairly easy manners but rather provincial in his speech” Stage directions