Essay on Justice in A View from the Bridge - 1747 Words

Justice in A View from the Bridge Arthur Miller is now regarded as one of the world’s greatest dramatists. In his plays he explores the struggles of the ordinary man against authority and insurmountable odds. Millers own struggle therefore with this issue is present in ‘A View from the Bridge’ as he, like the characters in his plays (such as Eddie Carbone), was faced with the problem of choosing to be American or not, specifically by naming names of people who were doing (what were considered then) unlawful acts. Miller chose to write about a community that accepted and protected unlawful people. Miller spent two years in the shipyards of Brooklyn and was thus able to study the social background of the lives of the†¦show more content†¦Although Alfieri knows what will happen to Eddie, his function in the play makes him so powerless to stop it. His function doesnt allow him to do more than observe. Alfieri establishes that justice and the law are going to be important in the play in his opening speech. He sets the story that he is going to tell us in the context of history, both ancient and modern. In Sicily, from where their fathers came, the law has not been a friendly idea since the Greeks were beaten. I only came here when I was twenty-five. In those days, Al Capone, the greatest Carthaginian of all, was learning his trade on these pavements, and Frankie Yale himself was cut precisely in half by a machine-gun on the corner of Union Street, two blocks away. The fact that Alfieri goes on to state that lawyers in ancient times, as well as he in modern times, were unable to prevent a complaint running a bloody course causes us to question the power and influence of the law. In other words, although justice is very important, often the law as it stands is incapable of delivering justice. Alfieri believes that it is best to settle for half: it is better to rely on written law as far as possible and accept it even when you are only half satisfied. The written law may not always act in favour of justice yet it is better to follow the law than toShow MoreRelatedThe Dramatic Importance of the Role of Alfieri in A View From the Bridge1115 Words   |  5 PagesImportance of the Role of Alfieri in A View From the Bridge First performed in 1956. Arthur Millers play A view from the bridge was originally set in the 1940s and started life as a one act verse before Arthur Miller converted it to a two act play to enhance and make it more enjoyable for the audience of today. In the title A view from the bridge Arthur Miller is referring to the Brooklyn Bridge which used to be the largest cable bridge in the world and its main purposeRead MoreThe Dramatic Techniques Arthur Miller Uses in His Play A View From the Bridge600 Words   |  3 PagesThe Dramatic Techniques Arthur Miller Uses in His Play A View From the Bridge A View from the Bridge was written by Arthur Miller. It is set in the early 1950s, Miller was interested in the lives of dockworkers and longshoremen of New Yorks Brooklyn harbour, where he had worked and where the story is set. 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