Hereford Plays series Essay

After the complex events of the scene before, Marco jumps in to try and regain his brother’s dignity. This is his family and he cannot let Rodolpho be disgraced like that or be hurt; whether it was just a stagger or not, Eddie was out of order and Marco won’t allow it. As Catherine and Rodolpho dance, Marco discusses a ‘friendly’ challenge: ‘Marco takes a chair and places it in front of Eddie’. Eddie has to lift the chair as far up as he can with one hand holding it by the bottom of one leg. As Eddie kneels and grasps the leg he lifts it by an inch whereas when Marco tries it he lifts it all the way above his head. This simple action obviously had a motive behind it: to warn Eddie to lay off his brother but Eddie consciously knows that he won’t give up that easily. Marco has shown that Eddie may think he’s more of a man than Rodolpho but Marco is more of a man than Eddie; this event has generally shamed Eddie in his home, which is something this character feels very strongly about as the head of the household. The scene needs a sense of oppositon and competition. In order to emphasise what is to be a true test of strength, the onlookers (Rodolpho, Catherine and Beatrice) need to have complete awareness and support of Marco’s triumph. In this scene you have to visually compare the failure of Eddie in comparison to the triumph of Marco. While Marco is lifting the chair he is struggling and the tension in his neck, face, arms and especially his facial expression is needed to portray not just victory of lifting the chair but the victory of putting Eddie to shame and gaining some respect for his brother. This scene is a turning point in the story because Eddie now knows that if he wants Rodolpho out of his life he’ll may have to take even more extreme measures and the battle has turned from not just putting Catherine off of Rodolpho but to get these immigrants out of his house. It’s important for its visual impact on the audience because its dramatic actions of a fight for strength and self-dignity turns the whole generalisation of the story from a happy family get-together into a potential ‘crime against his (Eddie’s) family and the Sicilian community’ (as quoted from synopsis/pri cis of the book). Its also important because it shows Marco’s justified slyness; justified because he has dishonoured Eddie but only in retaliation to Eddie taking advantage of Rodolpho. As soon as Marco said â€Å"Here†¦ † and started to lift the chair it is the beginning of Eddie’s slowly increasing shame and disgrace. The victory celebration should idealistically be a smiled expression (from Marco) as if to imply to Eddie that no-one messes with his brother or else they’ll answer to him. As director I would issue the following instructions: Catherine: you’re enjoying your dance with Rodolpho and you are nai ve as to what might be going on with Eddie and Marco so keep off guard and treat the situation as though its just a bit of fun between them. Beatrice: you have realised that Eddie feels discomforted at the weak position that he has been put in; however you believed that he deserved it and you are just hoping that Eddie has learned his lesson and will not interfere again. Act supportive at his distress but don’t destroy is ride by talking about it too much (as your character would naturally do) Eddie: you have to accept Marco’s offer very boldly and confidently as Catherine might be watching and you don’t want to back down now. Your facial expression has to show repressed rage at Marco; grind your teeth and be silent to keep your pride, you want everyone else in the room to feel that what has happened doesn’t mean or prove anything so get on as though it didn’t happen although you’re still much aware of the damage that Marco has done Marco: you are proud of what you have accomplished but you’re not going to look like a show off; if you win gracefully it will add to Eddie’s shame which is something you want to do. Your facial expression should say ‘ I’m triumphant and taking it well’ In conclusion, Eddie cares about his family and the responsibilities that come with it. He was strict in the upbringing of Catherine and had the utmost respect for his wife. Even though he made a fool of himself and died just for his name (his dignity) we must recognise he had a strong and defiant will or view that was his own and that he fought to uphold, such as his ‘primitive man’s view’ that there must be a law that keeps Catherine from marrying Rodolpho because he is supposedly a homosexual. The bottom line is Eddie should have settled for half meaning he brought Catherine up and now it was time to let her go. So in the end, Eddie dies to keep his pride and his ‘name’ but doesn’t even gain the audience’s admiration because his actions were unnecessary. As quoted by E. R. Wood, who wrote the introduction in the Hereford Plays series (1975) publication of ‘A View From The Bridge’, â€Å"To be a tragic hero, you do not have to be in the right; you have to be true to yourself. † So Eddie was guilty of destroying the lives of these immigrants and the only honourable way out was to die.