STRUCTURE

1
STRUCTURE Well-made playThis paragraph must
include a quotation
J.B. follows the tradition of the three unities
of the well-made play. The action is focused on
one story-line, there is only one setting, and
the time of the action on stage is identical to
the real time that the action takes. Even if
there is a break for a possible interval, the
start of the next Act takes us to the same point
in time at which we left the action. Notice how
the inspector is integral to this. Give an
example with quotation. The Inspectors
questioning of each character in turn propels the
play forward. Their exits and entrances are
always plausible and always allow some new aspect
of the plot to be introduced or something
mentioned earlier to be developed. Eg Geralds
walk what does this allow for? The Inspector
controls all of this. In particular, each new
revelation, prompted by the Inspectors careful
use of the photograph or information from the
diary, adds to the overall picture of those two
crucial years in the girls life.
2
Following on from Unities of time paragraph
Dramatic Tension Paragraph
Priestly uses the conventions of the well made
play to build up the mystery and suspense. The
first scene gently introduces the main
characters, and from then on each entrance or
exit highlights a dramatic moment. REST OF
PARAGRAPH USE THE TENSION GRAPH Make sure you
focus on the Inspectors entrance and you must
mention the STAGE DIRECTIONS (esp. stage lighting
u need the book for this)
3
Dramatic Genre Paragraph Essential for A
Grade
The play has elements of a whodunnit since the
girls story is gradually revealed through the
Inspectors careful questioning of the
suspects. SEE NOTES Page 15 re GENRE You must
make these brief (theres over a page of very
small writing) Must say how An Inspector Calls
differs from a traditional whodunnit If you are
doing the role of the Inspector make sure you
tie the paragraph with the role.