THE PECULARITIES OF THE REALIZATION OF DRAMATIC CONFLICT IN ARTHUR MILLER`S PLAY “A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE”

Abstract

Arthur Miller`s play “A view from the bridge” has not been investigated from the perspective chosen in this article. Conflict is the basis of all good theatre and an essential component of studying drama. In the investigated play three types of conflict were pointed: two external (1.between Eddie and Rodolpho; 2.between Eddie and his people) and one internal conflict (the protagonist`s suffering from inner turmoil).
The play opens with a domestic conflict. But the author makes the reader try to discover the protagonist`s real motivation and the domestic conflict interlaces with a psychological conflict which in the end unfolds into a social one. Eddie`s breaking the rules of his community, obeying the American laws of the period of McCarthyism makes him an outcast and causes tragedy. In this way the author reveals the social problems of the period of McCarthyism and raises human universal problems. The psychological conflict drives the play. It is subtle and complex due to the deliberate ambiguity of psychological motivations. The essence of this conflict is evoked by Alfieri, the character introduced in the play to comment the situation, which proves the influence of Greek tragedy on the author. One of the main devices used in this play is contrast, which involves a juxtaposition of the protagonist`s views and actions. The action is minimized. Expressive monologues and dialogues make the development of the conflict dynamic. Allusions, used by the author, help to understand psychological motivation.