This helpful resource is designed to support students studying An Inspector Calls for GCSE English Literature. There are a selection of activities available for students to complete as they read and respond to Act 1 of J.B Priestley's powerful play, exploring key elements such as plot, character and theme.
Students are guided to consider social responsibility and social class at the beginning of the play, as Arthur Birling, Gerald Croft and Eric discuss the launch of the Titanic, among other events.
There is a plot summary of Act 1 included, with detailed questions enabling students to analyse key dramatic and thematic elements, such as character development, the introduction of the Inspector and dramatic irony.
Browse additional resources in the An Inspector Calls section.
Example tasks from the downloadable resource:
As you read Act 1 answer the following questions.
- Look at the way Priestley has described the Birlings’ dining room. He spent a great deal of time listing very precise details about the house and its owners. Why do you think this is?
- Why might it be important that the Birlings are shown to be so comfortable and happy?
- Mr Birling is what they would have called a ‘blatherskite’. He talks about things he doesn’t truly understand, and doesn’t know when to stop talking! He also makes erroneous judgements about things to come that show how comfortable the rich were with their lives. Find and list things from his speech that Mr Birling has predicted incorrectly, and explain why you chose them.
- Mrs Birling and Sheila were expected to act as though they are the weaker sex. Find examples of things that the female characters say and do in line with this behaviour.
- Structure was very important in this play. Look at the moment the doorbell rings. Why was this the perfect moment for the Inspector to call, and how would the audience have reacted?
- Stereotypical characters, power and hierarchy form a large part of the dynamics of this play. Using the order of the character pictures earlier in this booklet as a guide, think about who is in power when the play begins, and why. Does the power shift between characters as the play progresses? How and why?
- What do you think of the ending of this Act? Based on his behaviour and the way the other characters react to his presence, how is the Inspector presented in this section of the play?
Look back through this Act. Find a quotation that sums up each character’s personality.
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