Eddie Carbone as a Tragic Hero in A View from the Bridge...

A View from the Bridge is a dramatic tragedy, which follows the life of a dockworker, Eddie Carbone, in 1950s America who is the main focus of the play. He represents the average, everyday man in society, but his character draws parallels to many tragic heroes in the past shown in Greek tragedies, Shakespeare’s plays, etc. (e.g. Hamlet and Macbeth). A tragic hero is the hero in the story who has positive and negative traits and their negative traits is what eventually leads to the demise and this is what happens to Eddie. Many fathers and uncles can relate to Eddie when they have to ‘let go’ of their children, but Eddie’s tragic flaw is that his immature actions and selfish behaviour emphasises his personal obsession of being in charge and†¦show more content†¦Alfieri ends the play by telling the audience that he mourns Eddie and tries to present Eddie as an innocent guy that has just followed his destiny. He also goes on to say that, â€Å"every few years there is still a case [like this]†, further trying to make Eddie seem innocent. At the beginning of the play, Eddie is portrayed as a sensible and smart character. Eddie and the girls (Catherine and Beatrice) all have a requited respect for each other – Beatrice: â€Å"Mmm! You’re an angel! God’ll bless you† – and there are no problems as such, even when the immigrants first come. He is also respected by the community – Alfieri: â€Å"He was good a man as he had to be in life that was.† But this dominant respect that he gains is what he is very used to and the slight changes where Catherine finds another man in her life and Beatrice also looks after the two immigrants (Rodolpho and Marco) effects Eddie hugely. The respect that he becomes used to is now shared by the women in his life between the men in his house and he craves for more attention. This can be considered one of his flaws that lead to his downfall. He is also shown caring for Catherine in the beginning of the play. He can be seen as a normal uncle or father – Beatrice: â€Å"She’s got a job.† Eddie: â€Å"What job? She’s gonna finish school.† He is also very proud of Catherine – â€Å"Sure she’s the best†¦ You look like aShow MoreRelatedA View from the Bridge by Miller1609 Words   |  7 PagesMiller’s A View from the Bridge, originally written in 1956 as a one act play, has many features of a classic Greek tragedy. It is set in the Italian-American neighbourhood, situated in Red Hook, near Brooklyn Bridge in New York. It is in this community Miller chooses to dramatise themes of conflict, betrayal, love and obsession. 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