An Inspector Calls:
Revision notes
These notes are to help kick-
start your revision of the play
for the GCSE English
Literature examination.
Good Luck
, Introduction
There are a number of references to external events within the play and
these could provide the areas which could be developed further. Among these
are:
The Titanic
The emergence of Russia as a world power
The outbreak of World War One
The importance of the Women’s Rights movement
The rise of Socialism
The writings of H G Wells
Key Notes:
very compact structure to the play, nothing is allowed to distract the audience from
the central theme. There is no sub-plot.
the play takes place in just one location, the action is continuous
Act One begins by introducing the characters and establishing the idea of a happy and
united family looking forward to the future with a degree of confidence. In retrospect,
there are a number of hints that all is not as it seems but these are not particularly obvious
until later in the play. There is nothing to warn us of the shock of the Inspector's visit
events soon gather speed and it is not long before we are being informed of Birling and
Sheila's involvement with Eva Smith
tensions increase, firstly as Gerald's affair is unveiled (and the scandal it would cause)
and Sheila begins to realise that they are all implicated in some way 'he is giving us rope - so
that we’ll hang ourselves'.
Mrs Birling's attempts to shift the blame for the girl's suicide leads her to blame the
father of the unborn child. The tension is heightened at this point by the dramatic
entrance of Eric.
with the departure of the Inspector it would appear that what follows will be something of
an anti-climax as the Inspector's identity is put into doubt by a series of observations
made by the Birling family and Gerald. Even the existence of Eva is called into question.
however, the tension remains to some extent as the two generations confirm the
differences as suggested by the Inspector - the moral divide is very great indeed
Revision notes
These notes are to help kick-
start your revision of the play
for the GCSE English
Literature examination.
Good Luck
, Introduction
There are a number of references to external events within the play and
these could provide the areas which could be developed further. Among these
are:
The Titanic
The emergence of Russia as a world power
The outbreak of World War One
The importance of the Women’s Rights movement
The rise of Socialism
The writings of H G Wells
Key Notes:
very compact structure to the play, nothing is allowed to distract the audience from
the central theme. There is no sub-plot.
the play takes place in just one location, the action is continuous
Act One begins by introducing the characters and establishing the idea of a happy and
united family looking forward to the future with a degree of confidence. In retrospect,
there are a number of hints that all is not as it seems but these are not particularly obvious
until later in the play. There is nothing to warn us of the shock of the Inspector's visit
events soon gather speed and it is not long before we are being informed of Birling and
Sheila's involvement with Eva Smith
tensions increase, firstly as Gerald's affair is unveiled (and the scandal it would cause)
and Sheila begins to realise that they are all implicated in some way 'he is giving us rope - so
that we’ll hang ourselves'.
Mrs Birling's attempts to shift the blame for the girl's suicide leads her to blame the
father of the unborn child. The tension is heightened at this point by the dramatic
entrance of Eric.
with the departure of the Inspector it would appear that what follows will be something of
an anti-climax as the Inspector's identity is put into doubt by a series of observations
made by the Birling family and Gerald. Even the existence of Eva is called into question.
however, the tension remains to some extent as the two generations confirm the
differences as suggested by the Inspector - the moral divide is very great indeed
