A View from the Bridge

-originally written as a one act play in verse but was later revised into a two act play in prose

-intended to be the modern version of a Greek tragedy

-written by Arthur Miller

-set in Red Hook, Brooklyn, the "gullet of New York"

-Based on a real story that Miller heard

-act as a link/intermediary between the characters and the audience and is like a Greek chorus

-"there was a trouble that would not go away" -Alfieri comments on events in the play

-"let her go" -As well as acting as a link between the characters and the audience Alfieri also gives the Eddie advice.

-"I could have finished the whole story that afternoon" -Alfieri provides a foreshadowing and creates tension

-"watched it run its bloody course" -Alfieri know what will happen in the end but is powerless to stop it.

-"you wont have a freind in the world, Eddie" -Alfieri knows what Eddie will do and warns him of the consequences

-"the cousins came" -foreshadowing and creates tension

-"Yes. In a book. That is the only law" -Alfieri represents the law in the play and tell marco that although he may not think that what the law makes is justice, he must abide by it.

-throughout the play Eddie act more like a jealous lover than a posessive uncle

-Eddie was a stranger to his own feelings

-"(puffed with trouble)" -when Catherine serves Rodolfo, she used to serve him

-"Katie" -Eddie uses a childish name as if it will make her a child again

-"filthy hands on her like a goddamn thief!" -Eddie is refering to Catherine as a possession that Rodolfo is trying to steal him from.

-"He's stealing from me!"

-"He ain't right" and "I don't like his whole way" - this is evidence that Eddie generally thinks that Rodolfo isn't good for Catherine.

-"I can't talk about it" -Eddie finds it hard to talk about his problems, especially about Catherine.

-"(he looks at her like a lost boy)" -We see Eddies jealousy as he is a grown man but he is looking like a boy. He is fearful of being supplanted in Catherines affections with Rodolfo.

-"Katie, he's only bowin' to his passport" -This shows how Eddie generally thinks that Rodolfo isn't right for Catherine. He also uses a nickname as if it will make him warm to her idea more.

-"You're a baby" -Eddie is scared of the woman that Catherine has become and wants her to be a girl again, he thinks by calling her a baby she will start acting like one.

-"You can quicker get back a million dollars that was stole than a word that you gave away" -this is what Eddie says to Catherine warning her not to tell anyone about the cousins. This is ironic as he is the one that snitches on the cousins at the end of the play.

-"Oh, B!" -These are Eddie's final words and they provide consolation for Beatrice, he loves her even though he seemed more concerned about Catherine.

-Eddie also calls Catherine names like "Garbo" and "Madonna"

-"I want my respect" -Eddie feels like he is not respected and "want[s his] name"

-"Then why dont she be a woman" -Catherine insults Beatrice about not being a good wife to Eddie.

-"You like it?" -Catherine feels a need for Eddie's approval and asks him 3 time if he likes her dress at the beigning of the play.

-"I'll get you a beer"- Catherine also serves Eddie at the begining of the play before Rodolfo arrives and her feelings are supplanted.

-"You wanna dance Rodolfo?" -Catherine is gaining independence and wants to show Eddie that she is not scared of him and that she will be with Rodolfo despite Eddies reactions.

-Catherine also calls Eddie a "rat" and says "in the garbage he belongs", this shows how much she feels betrayed by him and how much she hates him for trying to take Rodolfo away from her. She also uses Italian syntax.

-"I'm going with him, Eddie"- This is when Catherine finally stands up to Eddie and we see her new maturity and confidence.

-"When am I gonna be a wife again, Eddie?"- Beatrice is not satisfied with thier sex life and confronts Eddie about it. Eddie blames the cousins being there.

-"You gonna stand over her til she's forty?" -Beatrice is jealous about Eddie being so protective of Catherine

-"When are you going to leave her alone?"

-"Was there ever a fella he liked for you?" -Beatrice points out that Eddie had a problem with everyone that Catherine went out with, its not jst Rodolfo he has a problem with.

-"Honey...you gotta" -Beatrice encourages Catherine to leave the house and go to work

-"Well then, be an uncle" -Beatrice implies that Eddie is acting like more than an uncle towards Catherine.

-"You kept her a baby" -Beatrice blames Eddie for not letting Catherine grow up and meet men.

-"You want somethin' else, Eddie, and you can never have her!" -Beatrice finally speaks aloud about the relationship between Eddie and Catherine.

-"We lived six months on that night, eh, Marco?" -Rodolfo is very hopeful and unrealistic, they only lived "two months" on that night.

-"No, I-I'm tired" -Rodolfo respect Eddie and doesn't want to upset him by dancing with Catherine.

-"I would be a criminal stealing your face" -Rodolfo justifies his reasons for not wanting to live in Italy with Catherine.

-"I want to be an American so i can work, that is the only wonder here" -He tells Catherine that he is not jst using her to get his greencard.

-"I will buy a motorcycle" "with a great noise" -Rodolfo is still very childish and has dreams, he can afford to do this because he is not responsible for anyone else.

-"I have made all our troubles" -At the end of the play Rodolfo becomes the more mature brother, whereas before it was Marco (character role reversal)

-"They eat the sunshine"- this shows the poverty that Marco and Rodolfo have left behind.

-"When you have no wife you have dreams" -Marco has to be more realistic and sensible than his brother as he has a whole family to support.

-"(the chair raised like a weaponover Eddie's head)" -Marco shows Eddie that he will stand up for his brother, as someone who lives in Italy I know that family is very important in the Italian society.

-"Thank you" -Marco is constantly thanking Eddie and shows how grateful he is, this all changes at the end of the play.

-"All the law is not in a book" -Marco thinks that the law should be synonimous with justice however in this play it is not.

-"He killed my children!" -Marco blames Eddie for killing his children as Marco will no longer be able to earn money to send to his family to buy food.

-" Well- we did something" -Marco feels that it was worth coming to America as Rodolfo found Catherine.