Methods & Form Flashcards
All 13 cards in this deck
What kind of play is An Inspector Calls often called, for its moral lesson?
A morality play.
Which tightly plotted 19th-century play form does it follow?
The well-made play.
Which popular genre does the Inspector’s questioning borrow from?
The detective thriller (a ‘whodunnit’).
How many acts and how many settings does the play have?
Three acts, all in one setting: the Birlings’ dining room.
How does each act begin?
At the exact moment the last one ended: the action is continuous.
What device is Birling’s claim that the Titanic is unsinkable?
Dramatic irony.
How should the lighting change when the Inspector arrives?
From “pink and intimate” to “brighter and harder”.
What impression does the stage direction say the Inspector creates at once?
“massiveness, solidity and purposefulness”.
Which word does the name ‘Goole’ sound like?
Ghoul: a ghost or spirit.
Whose views does the Inspector voice?
Priestley’s: he is the playwright’s mouthpiece.
How does the Inspector question the family?
One person and one line of enquiry at a time.
What structural device ends Act 2?
A cliffhanger: Eric’s entrance.
What final twist ends the play?
A phone call announcing a dead girl and an inspector on his way.