An Inspector Calls Act Two These icons indicate

An Inspector Calls Act Two These icons indicate that teacher’s notes or useful web addresses are available in the Notes Page. This icon indicates that a worksheet accompanies this slide. This icon indicates that the slide contains activities created in Flash. These activities are not editable. For more detailed instructions, see the Getting Started presentation. 1 of 17 © Boardworks Ltd 2006

Plot summary exercise – Act Two 2 of 17 © Boardworks Ltd 2006

Sheila Why does Gerald suggest that Sheila ought to be excused at the beginning of Act Two? Why does Sheila refuse to leave? What explanation does the inspector provide? …if she leaves us now, and doesn’t hear any more, then she’ll feel she’s entirely to blame Sheila has already accepted and acknowledged that she is at least partly to blame for Eva’s death and now she wants to know who else is implicated. 3 of 17 © Boardworks Ltd 2006

Mrs Birling’s entrance is ‘quite out of key with the little scene that has just passed’. How would you describe Mrs Birling’s attitude to the inspector? How does the inspector react to Mrs Birling? How does Sheila react to her mother? 4 of 17 © Boardworks Ltd 2006

Mrs Birling Carefully read the scene from Mrs Birling’s entrance until Gerald next speaks. Act out this scene in groups of three, paying careful attention to the stage directions. 5 of 17 © Boardworks Ltd 2006

Mrs Birling What impressions do you have of Mrs Birling? Fill in the table with quotes and examples to support your ideas. Personality 6 of 17 Evidence © Boardworks Ltd 2006

Eric Mrs Birling is horrified to discover Eric is a heavy drinker. Why do you think Sheila tells her the truth? What else do we know about Eric? Questioned his father’s actions in firing Eva In an excitable mood Asked to be excused 7 of 17 © Boardworks Ltd 2006

Gerald We now learn of Gerald’s role in Eva Smith/Daisy Renton’s ruin. What do we already know about Gerald? Personality 8 of 17 Evidence © Boardworks Ltd 2006

Gerald and Daisy 9 of 17 © Boardworks Ltd 2006

Gerald’s role What arguments can you put forward to defend Gerald’s behaviour towards Daisy? He obviously liked her as he describes her as ‘very pretty – soft brown hair and big dark eyes’. He is upset when he suddenly realizes that it is she who is dead. When they first met he had rescued her from a old womanizer. When he realized she was hungry he got her food. He provided her with somewhere to live when he found out she was being turned out of her room. When he ended the affair he gave her some money to live on for a while. When he has confessed all he goes out because he is genuinely upset about Daisy. 10 of 17 © Boardworks Ltd 2006

Relationships – Sheila and Gerald Both Gerald and Sheila are shocked by each other’s revelations. Use this table to examine how Sheila and Gerald’s relationship has changed since the beginning of the play. Relationship Evidence Happy and in love Just got engaged 11 of 17 © Boardworks Ltd 2006

Mrs Birling’s role Now the inspector turns his attention to Mrs Birling. How does Mrs Birling react to being questioned? What was her involvement with Eva Smith? 12 of 17 © Boardworks Ltd 2006

Mrs Birling – true or false? 13 of 17 © Boardworks Ltd 2006

Mrs Birling’s reasons Mrs Birling explains why she turned the girl down. She had three reasons. What were they? 1. The girl had called herself Mrs Birling. 2. She had lied about being married. 3. When she explained that she didn’t want to take any more money from the father because he was stealing it, Mrs Birling did not believe her, assuming a girl of her class would take any money offered to her. 14 of 17 © Boardworks Ltd 2006

Dramatic irony Find a quotation from Mrs Birling in this scene which shows Priestley’s use of dramatic irony. I’ll tell you what I told her. Go and look for the father of the child. It’s his responsibility. Mrs Birling has no regrets about turning the girl down. She states openly that she used her influence on the committee to see the girl got no help. As Act two draws to a close the tension mounts. The audience begin to suspect Eric’s involvement with Eva before Mrs Birling does, and wait for her to realise the true meaning of her words. 15 of 17 © Boardworks Ltd 2006

Dramatic structure 16 of 17 © Boardworks Ltd 2006

Act Two questions Think back to the predictions you made at the end of Act One. How accurate were they? Revise your predictions for how the play may end. Are your predictions the same or are they different? In what ways? Has your opinion of any of the characters changed after reading Act Two? How has Sheila and Gerald’s relationship altered since the beginning of the play? Act Two ends with Eric’s return and entry into the dining room. How does Priestley build up tension to this point? 17 of 17 © Boardworks Ltd 2006