priestleys methods

• The Greek Unities

  Time (no more than 24 hours, set it real-time); Place (only one setting); Action (only one story-line, no complicated sub-plots). All used to make the play seem more realistic.
• A Morality Play

  The characters all represents one (or more) of the seven deadly sins. The Inspector is there to teach the characters to steer away from the path of evil and adopt a more moral and Godly life.
• Dramatic Irony

  When the audience know something the characters don’t – for example the sinking of the Titanic or the World Wars.
• Proleptic Irony

  When the character gives a warning or hint about what’s going to happen in the future – for example in the Inspector’s final speech he alludes to the war.
• Climatic Curtain

  Each act ends on a high point of tension.
• Stage Directions

  Tells us how the character says something or the character’s actions
• Monologue

  Speech by one character to other characters or the audience. All of the characters have these during their interrogation with the inspector.
• Didactic Play

  A play that is teaching us a lesson. For example, to be good, responsible and moral people. The Inspector’s final monologue is particularly didactic.
• Detective Genre

  Although this generally is a detective genre (the Inspector is investigating the suicide of a young woman) Ultimately, he is really there to morally ‘inspect’ the characters’ behaviours.