Character Analysis: A View of Miller’s “A View from the Bridge”
EDDIE
Eddie is the main character in the play and every significant act in the drama is connected to him. He is forceful, energetic and obsessive. He is capable of self-delusion on a grand scale. He is also, however, a character who can show warmth and some generosity.
He is protective towards Catherine at the beginning of the play and he does not wish her to expose herself to the attentions of the men of the neighbourhood. He comments on her clothes and the way she looks. His interest in Catherine soon becomes obsessive and is obviously unnatural. He lays down rules for Catherine to live by and he finds it impossible to accept that she should have a life of her own apart from her relationship with him.
Eddie’s changes of mood can be quite sharp. Even when joking about the sacrifices he has to make for the coming of Beatrice’s cousins there is an unpleasant edge to his comments. It is difficult for any of the characters to be completely at ease with Eddie. There are few moments in the play when he is not in conflict. Much of their time is spent in attempting to placate him.
Before the cousins arrive Eddie creates the impression that he is the authority in his own household. He lays down the rules and it is to him that Beatrice and Catherine must refer if they wish to deviate from the routine that has been established. When the play opens we sense an air of unease because Catherine and Beatrice are unsure of what Eddie’s reaction will be when he is told about Catherine’s job.
In the end Eddie realises that his honourable ‘name’ (Act 11, p. 82) is at stake. He has betrayed his name and he has lost the respect of all those who know him and therefore he has no option but to face Marco in mortal combat. Perhaps, in the end, he gains some dignity in the way he dies. In any case, as Alfieri says, Eddie ‘allowed himself to be wholly known’ (Act 11, p. 85).
BEATRICE
Beatrice is loving and caring. She is capable of taking an overview of the situations as they occur. She is often the mediator when Eddie’s aggressiveness creates hostile situations. She can, however, be quite assertive when she feels the occasion demands. It is she who attempts to warn Eddie that his relationship with Catherine is not within acceptable bounds. Catherine is also warned by Beatrice that she is contributing to Eddie’s infatuation. Beatrice feels that Eddie does not behave as a husband should and she indicates that he has not made love to her for some time. She knows her rights as a wife and she is not prepared to let Eddie ignore these rights especially as it seems that his infatuation with Catherine is the root cause.
Beatrice is the thread of reason that runs throughout the play. She is always able to rise above any situation created by Eddie and she is always prepared to do whatever is necessary to recreate sanity in their lives even to the extent of refusing to go to Catherine’s wedding because Eddie does not want her to. She is the one who is always attempting to pull Eddie back from the edge of darkness. And when he does slip over the edge she is the one who is there to comfort him.
CATHERINE
Catherine is a lively young woman who is eager to experience the world. She is innocent and open, always ready to love and be loved. However, she has had no real experience until Rodolpho enters her life. Until now her security has been bound to her relationship with Eddie and Beatrice. She is genuinely unaware that there is anything improper in her relationship with Eddie and is horrified when Beatrice suggests that there might be more to the bond than she realises.
She is heavily influenced by Eddie and, for this reason, she is doubtful about Rodolpho’s motives in marrying her. She quickly accepts his assurances, however, and this is the moment when she abandons herself to him. She now accepts her love for Rodolpho without restraint. She takes sides against Eddie and is quite vehement in her condemnation of his actions when he betrays Rodolpho and Marco. This is the point in the play where she shows a strength of character that has not been in evidence before. However, any strength this might have given her evaporates in the final moments of the play when she murmurs her heartfelt regret for her part in Eddie’s tragic end.
MARCO
Marco is seen as the stronger of the two brothers. He is only too well aware of his obligations to Eddie and this is why he is happy to suggest to Rodolpho that his brother should not behave in a manner that will upset Eddie. His strong sense of responsibility to his wife and family is obvious and is, therefore, the only reason he has come to America. He gives the impression that he thinks before he acts.
However, he has a strong sense of right and wrong and an even stronger sense of justice. When he sees Eddie hitting his brother he is quick to show Eddie that he, the stronger man, will be there to defend Rodolpho if necessary. When his mind is made up he is totally focused — he employs tunnel vision.
RODOLPHO
Rodolpho makes an immediate impact when he enters. Catherine and Beatrice find him an attractive young man and his lively sense of humour endears him to the audience. He is delighted to be in America as his very first line makes clear. His command of the language is impressive even though Arthur Miller makes it obvious that English is not his first language. His use of words and images shows a lightness of touch that betrays an intelligent mind at work.
He is a man of many talents — many of which are sneered at by Eddie. He can cook, he can sing and he can make clothes. Eddie’s hostility upsets him mainly because he cannot understand why Eddie should dislike him.
At the end of the play we see Rodolpho as the thoughtful, sensitive young man who has the vision to see what terrible consequences will result from the battle of wills between Marco and Eddie. He attempts to persuade Marco not to harm Eddie, he apologises to Eddie for his behaviour and finally tries to warn Eddie that Marco is in no mood to capitulate or compromise. All this shows the audience that Rodolpho is a sensitive, intelligent character who feels a sense of responsibility for those close to him.
ALFIERI
Alfieri is a narrator, commentator and sometimes a character in the play itself. He can sense the terrible events that are about to happen but is powerless to prevent them (see chorus). He dispenses information and advice and, most emphatically, explains the law and its boundaries. It is he who attempts to place the events of the drama in context and explain to the audience that conflicts such as those related in the play occur throughout Italian and Sicilian history.
Alfieri talks about it being ‘better to settle for half’ (Act 11, p. 85) and about liking that better because, quite often, the search for absolute justice results in unacceptable consequences. He realises that the law is limited and cannot deal with every human problem fully. He explains the boundaries to both Marco and Eddie but, even though in his heart he knows they will ignore what he has said to them, he cannot take further action to prevent the conflict.