form, structure & lang

• What is the form of the play "An Inspector Calls"?


  It is written in the form of a play.
• What are the three different genres of play that "An Inspector Calls" draws on?

  Well-made play, morality play, and crime thriller.
• What characterizes a well-made play?

  The plot is intricate and complex, building to a big climax.
• When did the well-made play become popular?

  In the 19th century.
• How does the action in a well-made play unfold?


  It is caused by events that happened before the events of the play.
• How does Priestley deviate from the well-made play genre in "An Inspector Calls"?


  He ends the play with a revelation that puts the characters back into jeopardy.
• What happens at the end of "An Inspector Calls" that creates chaos?


  The phone rings, revealing the inspector isn't who he said he was.
• What is a key characteristic of morality plays?


  Characters commit sins and are punished, but can redeem themselves if they repent.
• What was Priestley's intention with the morality play aspect of "An Inspector Calls"?


  To remind the audience not to slip back into old ways after the war.
• How do Sheila and Eric's actions contrast with Mr. and Mrs. Birling's in the play?

  Sheila and Eric take responsibility, while Mr. and Mrs. Birling want to return to the past.
• How does Priestley use the inspector's speeches in the play?

  They invite the audience to judge the characters.
• In which centuries were morality plays particularly popular?


  In the 15th and 16th centuries.
• What is the purpose of morality plays according to the study material?


  To encourage the audience to question their own behaviours
• What does it mean when a character breaks the fourth wall?


  It means the character acknowledges they are fictional by addressing the audience directly
• What genre does the play "An Inspector Calls" belong to?


  Crime thriller
• What is the central theme of the crime in "An Inspector Calls"?


  The moral crime of who was responsible for making Eva Smith's life miserable
• How does the audience engage with crime thrillers according to the study material?


  They receive clues about the crime and try to figure out the twist before the reveal
• What does Eric's quote reveal about the family's responsibility in "An Inspector Calls"?


  It reveals that he believes everyone in the family contributed to Eva's death
• What are the key elements of the play "An Inspector Calls"?


  • Encourages audience to question their behaviors
  • Breaks the fourth wall
  • Belongs to the crime thriller genre
  • Centers on the moral crime regarding Eva Smith
  • Audience engages by solving the mystery of responsibility
• How many acts does the play have?


  Three acts
• What narrative technique does Priestley use at the end of each act?


  He ends each act on a gripping cliff-hanger
• What is revealed about Inspector Goole in act three?


  There is a twist suggesting he may not be real
• What significant event occurs at the end of the play?

  A phone call reveals a woman really did die and an inspector is coming
• How does Priestley maintain the momentum of the play?


  By slowly revealing new parts of the mystery
• What themes does the play explore through its structure?


  Character development and the themes of the story
• What is Priestley's interest regarding theories about time?


  He explores the idea that people re-enter their lives after death
• How does the play illustrate the concept of cyclical structure?


  Through Eva's life and the characters' repeated mistakes
• What happens to Eva throughout the play?


  She tries to create a better life but faces disappointment and punishment
• How does the play begin and end?


  With an investigation into the young woman who took her own life
• What is the response of the older Birlings at the end of the play?


  They revert to avoiding responsibility
• How do Sheila and Eric differ from the older Birlings?


  They have learned from their mistakes and act differently
• What type of dialogue does Priestley use in the play?


  Realistic dialogue
• What is emphasized in the dialogue of the play?


  Plain emotive expressions
• Who interprets the characters' lines in the play?


  The characters and the director
• What role do stage directions play in the play?


  They specify how lines should be delivered to add drama
• How might Sheila's line “you be careful” be interpreted?


  It can be said in a half playful, half serious way
• What does Priestley aim to achieve with the language in the play?


  To enhance the emotional impact through realistic dialogue
• Foreshadowing -  Foreshadowing is to suggest what's going to happen in the future. At the start of the play, we don't know that Gerald had an affair, or that Sheila had already suspected it. So the stage directions half playful half serious gives a very early hint to the audience members who are really paying attention that something's not quite right with Sheila and Gerald. All the dramatic choices that precede makes it so the form, the structure and the language of An Inspector Calls have a real impact on how the audience experiences the play.