Responsibility

• Responsibility is one of the most prevalent  themes within the play and the role of the Inspector is to highlight that all actions have consequences. He demands that the other characters be accountable for their actions and that they take responsibility for others. This message is also intended for the wider audience and for society in general.
• • The Inspector demands each character be held accountable and admit personal responsibility for the chain of events which led to Eva’s death:
  • Each character had an individual connection with Eva, regardless of how fleeting, and their actions will have influenced her fate
• • Sheila is the first character in the play to accept responsibility for her actions, which demonstrates her courage and empathy 
  • Eric initially offers marriage to Eva which shows some attempt at responsibility:
  • However, as the father of her child, he ultimately fails in his duty to protect both of them 
• • The Inspector urges the characters (and the audience) to consider their social responsibility, arguing individuals have a civic duty to ensure their actions must benefit the whole of society:
  • Through the Inspector, Priestley argues that members of a society have duties and obligations towards the welfare of others 
  • He suggests they have a collective and social responsibility to take care of each other
• • As Arthur and Sybil hold prominent positions within society, the Inspector suggests they have an even greater duty of care towards others:
  • While the Inspector alludes to ideas of responsibility and duty, Arthur and Sybil also repeatedly use these words though they interpret them in very different ways
• • In contrast, Priestley presents Eva as having a greater sense of moral responsibility than all of the other characters
• • A pivotal part of Act III is when the Inspector leaves, as it provides an opportunity for the characters to reveal if they have learned anything from his message:
  • Only Eric and Sheila have grasped Inspector’s message; Arthur, Sybil and Gerald are blind to it
• What is Priestley’s intention?

  • Priestley emphasises the importance of both personal and social responsibility:
  • He insists this extends beyond the confines of a family unit and spreads to society as a whole
• Priestley emphasises that individual actions may well begin a chain of events which may have devastating consequences.