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Theme Of Betrayal In A View From The Bridge

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How does Miller explore the theme of Betrayal in ‘A View from the Bridge’? Betrayal is an extremely important theme in Arthur Millers 1950’s play ‘A View from the Bridge’. The setting and community of the play, play a vital role in showing this themes significance; with the Italian American Red Hook community underpinned by the law of Omertà, a code that dictates silence and forbade people from cooperating with authorities, an extremely obvious portrayal of how betrayal is loathed within the community. However, this essay will also explore betrayal on a personal and moral level; especially the betrayal of family and close relations, of which there are numerous examples in Millers play. The importance of the entire communities’ compliance to the code of omertà is evident from the opening of the play; with the story of Bolzano, the young boy who was brutally attacked by his own father and brothers after breaking the community code. The use of simile to describe his head “bouncing like a coconut” down the stairs shows that even close familial bonds can be shattered by betrayal. Furthermore Eddie Carbone further voices the importance of the code of silence , with the use of repetition in the quote “ I …show more content…

Furthermore, Alfieri focuses on the “pure” elements of Eddies character and despite his act of betrayal through misplaced love which has meant he is judged by society, Alfieri still remembers him in more heroic terms, highlighting true friendship and love can never be

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