‘Twelve Angry Men’ is a naturalistic play, written by Reginald Rose who shows that conflict can impact on all people, and its factors are what make the issue of prejudice, justice and the case of personal experience. Prejudice is one of many factors that contribute on conflict, how it is gone about, and the way it prevents people from acting towards others. Along with the inhabitants of prejudice, justice and personal experience are also major factors which are involved in the outcome of conflict. Throughout the play, a main focus which Rose explores is prejudice, and the way he links it to a major factor of conflict. While Rose showcases the effect of prejudice and its impact on conflict, he endures using his jury, the major influence personal experience has on people, and each other, making the decision from come personally.
Parris is a character that allows the audience to see the weaknesses and flaws in the society. Parris gives the audience an insight into the main reasons for the religion and society’s downfall. Of all the characters in the play, Parris feels the least effects of repression. Being of a high up status, and the strong belief puritans have in God gives him power but little freedom. He must constantly please
The whole way through the play the Inspector keeps reminding the family that there isn’t one of them that will be getting away with anything as they are united in blame. The inspector is clearly a socialistic character in the play, Priestley uses him to introduce the theme of social responsibility. However, as well as this the younger generation are eventually used to show the idea of socialism. Eric and Shelia also begin to side with the Inspector and the way Priestley has managed to develop the theme of social responsibility is by making the younger generation change to take over roles of the Inspector and therefore agree with him. This also means that you can understand that Eric and Sheila can understand the concept that everyone is partially to blame for the death of the girl.
With the genesis of parliamentary government, Elizabethans individuals experienced justice not as the divine commandment handed down from a divine monarch but as the decision of a mere human, and thus fallible. The revenge tragedy fulfills a desire for direct retribution and a direct administration of justice that appealed to the Elizabethan audience. Sacks discusses The Spanish Tragedy and Titus Andronicus very effectively, but his culminating work on Hamlet received the bulk of my attentions, being the most relevant to my research. Sacks argues that Hamlet is unable to mourn effectively due to the strains that his familial relations place upon him. The language of mourning is
Peter might also be under the influence of Theory X where he assumes that every employee does not like work and will avoid doing anything unless they are pushed, controlled and coerced. That is why he controls and coerces them to finish their tasks. The good thing about autocratic leadership is that it can make the employees
The character of the inspector is written by Priestley as a representation of morality in the play. The manner of The inspector is one the Birling's find rather disconcerting. This question of his character grows throughout the play, mirroring Sheila's and the audience's growing suspicion of him.” we didn't tell him anything he didn't already know" This all knowing quality of the character of the inspector gives a sense of being super natural, a quality confirmed by Priestley during the Inspector's outburst at the end in which he foretells the prophecy of 'fire, blood and anguish' giving the audience an underlying sense of unease at the reference to war. Therefore showing them the consequences of a lack of responsibility. This ironic hindsight into the war also gives the audience a sense of the inspector's wisdom.
Priestly shows how a chain of events can be started by just one person’s actions. This gives the audience the message that we should consider carefully the consequences of our actions because it may result in tragic ends. Throughout the play, many themes are explored alongside social responsibility and inequality. For example, age (the difference between younger and older generation0, guilt, deceit and greed. The dates 1912 and 1945 are important because 1912 was a point in history where a difference between the lifestyles of the rich and the poor had expanded.
There are also many events that take place in Act 1 that allow us to figure out what themes are seen throughout the play. Social rank and classes are extensively presented in the play e.g. the characters who are part of the upper class are made obvious by their mannerisms, their arrogance and their narcissism. The lower class are instead, seen as workers who are quite submissive yet have a subtle hatred for the disrespectful upper class. Today many would consider the ranking system as a restriction on certain people.
A lot of Wildes opinions are carried out as common themes throughout the whole play. It is the purpose of this essay to discuss where the social roles duality, identity and Victorian norms are socially criticized within The Importance of Being Earnest. Duality the first most common theme within The Importance of Being Earnest is show firstly when the two protagonists if the play Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff. With Algernon living in the city of London he creates a fictitious character called “Bunbury” that he visits in the country and Jack living in the country creates a fictitious brother called earnest that lives in the city. This was Wildes way of bringing in an alter ego to allow them to evade responsibility and many unpleasing social ties.
Cordelia takes on this role by unconditionally loving her father and furthermore forgiving Lear for banishing her, which is seen when she says “No cause, no cause.” (4.7). Edgar takes on a similar role by forgiving his father for going against him when he was tricked by Edmund and taking care of Gloucester in his blindness at the end of the play. The other characters, however, give into temptation and sin more frequently. Pride, for example, is a prominent sin that affects many characters, Lear being a prime example. Lear's pride keeps him from listening to the advice of Kent, the king's most loyal follower, after he banishes Cordelia and admitting he may have been wrong.