Notesale: Turn your study into money

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Character Profile - Arthur Birling
Opening Stage Directions:
•

•

‘Arthur Birling is a heavy looking, rather portentous man in his middle fifties with
fairly easy manners but rather provincial in his speech
...

o Birling has a regional accent, indicating that he was not always part of
the upper class, but instead had to work his way up from a smaller
background
...

“The four Birlings and Gerald are seated at the table, with Arthur Birling at one
end, his wife at the other
...
He is
seated at the head of the table indicating his position if power
...
And we
don’t guess – we’ve had experience – and we know
...
He is not used to people challenging him (Inspector/Eva
Smith and later Sheila/Eric)
...

o He is a rich, successful businessman – he is a self-made man/nouveau
riche
...
we may look forward to the time when Crofts and Birlings are no longer
competing but are working together - for lower costs and higher prices
...
The
fact that he sees his daughter's engagement as a chance to push for
'lower costs and higher prices' shows just how greedy he is
...

o Mr Birling seems to only be interested in how the engagement will be
good for his business, and the amount of money he will make off the
back of it, rather than the happiness of his daughter
...
And I say there isn’t
a chance of war
...
"
o Repetition
▪ Birling emphasises his position as a ‘hard-headed, practical man
of business’, he refused to let Gerald, or the audience forget
about his status and wealth
...

o Dramatic Irony
▪ Mr Birling is confident that there will not be a war, saying that
'there isn't a chance of war' and then repeating this idea when
he considers it 'impossible'
...
The audience, knowing that just two years
after this speech, World War One will begin, see that Mr Birling
is wrong on this point, and on many others, including his
prediction that the Titanic is 'unsinkable'
...

▪ Refuses the world isn’t as comfortable as his wealthy lifestyle
by refusing to except the possibility of war or struggling
economies
...
This tells us that Mr Birling will only believe what
suits him
...
He believes he has no responsibility for lower classes
and has no sense of community
...

▪ He doesn’t believe his actions have consequences
...

o Dramatic Irony

Again, emphasises overconfidence in himself capitalist views
while also highlighting his complete disregard for community
...

“I might find my way into the next Honours List
...
”
o Mr Birling can’t help but brag to Gerald, showing his narcissistic and
arrogant personality
...
His only concern is his reputation and
social status
...

‘How do you get on with our Chief Constable, Colonel Roberts? Perhaps I ought
to warn you that he’s an old friend of mine’
...
He
makes sure that people are aware that he has been active in local
politics and has been Lord Mayor
...

o He wants to avoid scandal at any cost in order to protect his reputation
...
He refuses to take responsibility for
any part in Eva Smith’s death at the start of the play
...
He
cannot understand Sheila’s and Eric’s insistence that there is something
to be learnt
...

“I only did what any employer might have done
...

“I protest against the way in which my daughter, a young unmarried girl, is being
dragged into this”
o Mr Birling acts as if Sheila is entirely oblivious to the situation
...

“Look here, I’m not going to have this inspector
...
”
▪

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

o

Mr Birling uses imperative language towards the inspector, in an
attempt to gain control of the situation
...


Act 2:
Description:

•

Defensive, Imperative, Short-tempered, Impatient, Closed-minded

Quotes:
• “Inspector, I’ve told you before, I don’t like your tone nor the way you’re
handling this enquiry
...
”
o Birling is frustrated that his high class family has come under such
interrogation
...

• “Yes, yes
...

o This shows the reader how Birling is very sexist and is one of many who
believe that men and women should not be treated equally and that
women should be protected from the hardships of life
...
He refuses to believe that he or his family would ever be involved
with a scandal
...
The press might easily take it up
...


Act 3:
Description:

•

Harsh, Arrogant, Controlling, Foolish, Blunt, Traditional, Angry

Quotes:
• “(terrified now) Look inspector, you’re not trying to tell me that my boy – is
mixed up in this?”
o Birling is horrified at the idea of a family member with a criminal record
...

• “Look Inspector – I’d give thousands – yes thousands”

Desperate tone
▪ This shows how Birling believes that money can buy him
happiness and he believes that the fact that he’s rich is enough
to get him out of any trouble
...

“I was almost certain for a knighthood”
o Audience see how self-centred he truly is
o This shows how he only cares about his reputation and not the wellbeing of Eva Smith\ Daisy Renton, as he only talks about the
consequences to himself, rather than the health of anyone else
“But the whole thing is different now…
...
”
o Mr Birling is shaken by the investigation and is shocked by the behaviour
of his son Eric
...
When it seems that the Inspector might have been an
imposter he is overjoyed and mocks the others for having been 'tricked'
by the investigation
...

o Mr Birling is shown as being foolish, this shows he doesn’t understand
the correlation between what he does and the consequences
...
”
o He is shown as being controlling, this shows he has appointed himself as
the leader of the house and he wants to separate himself from those
who think differently to him
...

“[He puts the telephone down slowly and looks in a panic-stricken fashion at the
others
...
A girl has just died – “
o By the end of the play, Mr Birling has not changed at all – he refuses to
learn/take on board the Inspector’s lesson
...
Priestley seems
to be warning us of how dangerous it is if you don’t take responsibility
for others
...
”

Eric
Gerald

“I might find my way into the
next Honours List
...
”

Inspector

“Look here, I’m not going to have
this inspector
...
”

Eva Smith

“there’s a lot of wild talk about
possible labour trouble in the
near future,”

Explanation
• not close – hints that their
marriage wasn’t for love
• treats her like a child,
• feels she needs protecting from
the truth
...
Eric can’t turn to him
when it matters
...

• Happy about his marriage to
Sheila as it is good for business
...

• tries to intimidate him
...

• Threatened by the fact that she
had ‘a lot to say – far too much – ‘,
so he used his power to get rid of
her
...


Character Significance:
He holds the traditional, selfish attitudes (held by the wealthier classes, particularly the
older generation) that Priestley challenged (through the character of the Inspector)
...
He believed that what resulted from this were
the very characteristics shown in Mr Birling (selfishness, exploitative tendencies, power
lust etc
...


Character Profile - Sybil Birling

•

Opening Stage Directions:
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“His wife is about fifty, a rather cold woman and her husband’s social superior
...

o The audience immediately get the impression that there is no warmth to
her character and therefore it is difficult to like her
...


Act 1:
Description:

•

Old Fashioned, Superior, Oblivious, Polite, Patronising

Quotes:
• “(smiling) very well then
...

• “(reproachfully) Arthur, you’re not supposed to say such things”
o the adverb “reproachfully” shows her controlling nature as she
discreetly makes sure that all of the family members are ‘acting their
class’ to impress Gerald
...

o Sybil shouts at Sheila for using the word 'squiffy' - meaning drunk
...

• “(smiling) Well, it came just at the right moment
...
”
o Reveals that Mrs Birling is aware of the tension arising between Sheila
and Gerald
...

“Now stop it, you two
...
”
o She tells everyone how they should behave and reprimands them when
they behave in a way which she deems inappropriate for the social
setting and their social class
...
Birling enters, briskly and self-confidently” the stage directions show that
she is aware that she is a ‘social superior’
o she believes that she is better than everyone else, this is evident from
how she enters the room and presents herself in front of the inspector
...
Birling, know”
o she is very confident in herself; she represents the wealthier class
...
Birling is lying to keep herself out of any real trouble and to
maintain her perfect socialite reputation
...
Is she being
punished in some way?
She thinks her social status protects her from the harsh realities of the
world
...


Relationships with other characters:
Person
Mr Birling

Quote
‘[reproachfully] Arthur, you’re
not supposed to say such things –
’

Sheila

‘Now Sheila, don’t tease
him…You’ll have to get used to
that, just as I had
...
I
won’t believe it…’

Gerald

‘[smiling] And I must say, Gerald,
you’ve argued this very cleverly,
and I’m most grateful
...
’

Eva Smith

‘piece of gross impertinence’

shows no remorse
...
"
o Mrs Birling is very unsympathetic when describing Eva Smith's position
...

o She assumes that just because Eva is unmarried and pregnant that she is
unable to have 'fine feelings', a very cruel and cold opinion to have
...
Birling is naïve and ignorant
and refuses to listen to the inspector

Act 3:
Description:
• Distressed, Ashamed, Selfish, Cold, Unregretful
Quotes:
• "No, of course not
...
" "(staggered) it isn’t true
...
Secondly by stating that
Eric is only 'a boy'
...
Her shock at this revelation '(staggered)' is further evidence of this
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o shows that she feels guilty for not helping Eric’s unborn child but is still
determined to avoid any responsibility of Eva smith’s death by
interrupting to stop him from blaming her
• “I was the only one
...

o showing that she still retains her pride fully while the others felt slightly
humiliated after the inspector exposes them
...
However, she
is loyal to him
...

• Scolds Sheila when she steps out
of line and treats her like a child
...

• Not close
...

• Completely unaware of his
drinking/lifestyle
...

• Sees him as a good match for
Sheila
...

• Remains completely untouched by
his questioning
...

• Refuses to cooperate with him
...

• Irritated by her manner – could
not get over the fact that Eva
Smith called herself ‘Mrs Birling’
...
She sees the
lower class as morally inferior – Priestley

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