Arthur Miller Group
Question:
d-k
Student
High School - 10th Grade
How does Arthur Miller present Eddie as a tragic character in Act One of View from the Bridge ?
Answers:
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accessteacher Teacher
High School - 10th GradeeNotes Editor
Posted by accessteacher on Wednesday August 19, 2009 at 12:01 PMIt is clear in Act I that Eddie is destined for a tragic end. Alfieri, who acts as the Chorus of the play, says as much as a result of the meetings he has with Eddie. His constant description of Eddie, saying that "his eyes were like tunnels" suggests that Eddie was blinkered from the consequences of his actions and that because of that he was going to walk to his own desctruction by his actions.
What is clear in Act I is that from the first Eddie is presented as a man who is not being honest with himself. The audience quickly gathers that Eddie sexually desires his niece, Catherine, through a variety of events. For example, the very first time we see them together Eddie tells Catherine to walk in a way that is not sexually provocative. His inability to accept his feelings leads him to inevitably side against Marco and Rodolpho, and we can predict that he will turn them in to immigration and receive social exclusion at the very least in return. His tragedy is therefore unavoidable.
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