Masculinity is a prevailing subject in Arthur Miller’s A View From The Bridge. The four taking male characters in the drama ; Eddie. Rodolpho. Marco and Alfieri ; each drama different functions and different types of work forces. Miller has represented work forces and maleness in an unforgiving visible radiation in the drama. It appears that it is work forces that confuse and create jobs in the characters’ lives. Each character’s actions are effected by the conflicting forces of determinism. where every event and state of affairs is the inevitable consequence of its predating provinces of personal businesss ; and freewill. It could be said that the male characters in A Position From The Bridge are non moving. but being acted upon.

The chief character in A Position From The Bridge is Eddie. He is 40 old ages of age. somewhat fleshy and is described as “husky” . The ruggedness used in the description refers to both Eddie’s raggedness and his strong. beefy physique. His age suggests experience. another masculine quality. Eddie’s visual aspect reflects his attitude. strong and intimidating. In seeking to turn out his maleness. Eddie is the focal point of many conversations. as he feels that he must rule the conversation. Eddie’s address is really direct. with blunt diction. He invariably uses contractions and drops the last missive off words. such as in the phrase “I didn’t say nothin’” . Eddie’s linguistic communication is non sophisticated in any sense. This is because Eddie spent his clip working alternatively of acquiring a proper instruction. Eddie besides comes from a working category household. which would intend that his instruction is limited. The conglobation of these factors conveys Eddie to be even more masculine. It is really clear that Miller has constructed Eddie to stand for the prototype of maleness ; nevertheless the character has a leaning to be acted upon instead than acted.

Although Eddie is portrayed as a really masculine character. the convulsion in his head is apparent to the reader. Within himself he is seeking to command his feelings. or act. Alternatively. it appears that the occurrences around him command Eddie’s actions. When Eddie allows Rodolpho and Marco to remain. he is moving. as he is doing the determination as the patriarchal member of the Carbone household. He has the pick of whether to accept them or non. He acts out of freewill. The best illustration Eddie being acted upon is when he calls Immigration about Marco and Rodolpho. At this point in the drama. Eddie thinks that he has no other options.

He is fighting to command his feelings for Catherine. which on its ain is an illustration of being acted upon. Although Eddie knows that these incestuous feelings are non acceptable. he can non assist but experience this manner. Catherine’s developing relationship with Rodolpho is clearly proving Eddie’s endurance. Eddie besides feels that Rodolpho is a bad influence on Catherine. as Eddie can no longer command her as he used to. Realistically. this is because Catherine is turning up more than Rodolpho’s influence. However. Eddie feels that the lone solution is to acquire rid of Rodolpho. By making this. Eddie hopes that everything will return to its original province. with him being the patriarch. Consequently. Eddie calls Immigration. It can clearly be seen that Eddie is non moving. as extinguishing Rodolpho is something that is inevitable if Eddie wishes for things to return to their initial province.

Rodolpho’s visual aspect in A Position From The Bridge is one that is far more feminine and soft than that of the other characters. He is described as a slender “platinum blond” with a “nice face” . His soft characteristics are considered womanly. and so he is non considered to be masculine. Rodolpho’s age can be estimated to be in the twentiess. This denotes a deficiency of life experience. another index towards muliebrity instead than maleness. Miller has constructed Rodolpho as a much less masculine character than Eddie so as to juxtapose the two characters. Unlike Eddie. Rodolpho is a more rational character. He is more cautious in what he says. Due to this discretion. Rodolpho’s address is really limited in A Position From The Bridge. However. his rational behavior does non halt Rodolpho from being more acted upon than acted.

Even though Rodolpho attempts to forbear from doing excessively much of a perturbation in America. he is visibly crazing Eddie by demoing fondness towards Catherine. However. Rodolpho can non command his feelings. He stands up for his right to hold a relationship with Catherine and. regardless of what Eddie does or says. Rodolpho still has these feelings for Catherine. Rodolpho does non take to be attracted to Catherine. it merely happened. The construct that Catherine and Rodolpho both attention for each other is non a affair of pick or freewill. it is clearly determinism. For this ground. Rodolpho is more acted upon than moving in A View From The Bridge.

Marco is described in A Position From The Bridge as a 32 twelvemonth old “square built peasant” . His square build implies strength and an intimidating build. which evokes an air of maleness. His age puts him between Eddie and Rodolpho. Throughout the drama. Marco is played as quiet. yet thoughtful. His duologue is minimum. until the concluding sequence where the struggle between him and Eddie erupts. Although his duologue is wholly different to that of Eddie. the brace are both seen as masculine characters. This is because Marco is confident with himself. and does non experience it is necessary to speak or rule the conversation. In making so. his assurance radiances through as being masculine. Again. Marco is a character that appears. in most instances. to be more acted upon than moving.

Marco’s strong and soundless character allows him to understand and recognize elements in the characters more so than Eddie and Rodolpho. He sees Eddie’s disputing nature towards Rodolpho and challenges Eddie back. In this sense. Marco’s actions are acted. He understands what is go oning and uses his ain freewill to do a determination of what to make. However. the concluding sequences are clearly an indicant of how Marco is more acted upon than moving. When Marco spits in Eddie’s face. it is the apogee of Eddie’s attitude and actions that cause him to make so. After swearing Eddie. Marco has been proverbially stabbed in the dorsum. However. Marco’s reaction was high. Eddie’s ongoing disfavor of both Marco and Rodolpho would finally get at a confrontation.

Marco’s reaction was clearly determinism – it was the inevitable consequence of its predating provinces of personal businesss. In this manner. the character of Marco is more acted upon than moving. Similarly. when Marco kills Eddie. it is inevitable. If non for Eddie’s decease. the drama would be traveling nowhere. Eddie’s saneness is questionable towards the terminal of A View From The Bridge. If Eddie were to last the stabbing. there would be no closing for any of the characters. When Eddie pulls the knife out and efforts to knife Marco. it is clear that he is non believing rationally. Marco so acts in ego defense mechanism when he stabs Eddie. He knows that one of them will decease in the battle. and sees that his violent death of Eddie is the lone manner he will come out alive. For this ground. Marco acts non out of freewill. but stabs Eddie as there is no other manner for the conflict to stop. Hence. Marco is more acted upon than moving. However. this property is non shared by all of the male characters in A Position From The Bridge.

The concluding male character in A Position From The Bridge is Alfieri. Alfieri is the oldest of the characters. described as being “in his fifties” . turning Grey and portly. His age implies much life experience. as does his generously proportioned build. His visual aspect is besides one of a higher category than the remainder of the characters. Alfieri speaks with differentiation. Unlike Marco and Eddie. who feel the demand to show their maleness. Alfieri is confident in himself. and so needs non show this through his linguistic communication.

For this ground. Alfieri remains to be a masculine character even though his linguistic communication is really poetic and facile. For illustration. when confer withing Eddie and Marco. he says “To promise non to kill. is non dishonorable. ” Equally good as demoing Alfieri’s intelligence. the statement gives his words a graduated table of importance. Alfieri’s maleness radiances through in his instructing and superior mode. Unlike the remainder of the male characters in A Position From The Bridge. it is felt that Alfieri is non being acted upon. but is moving.

As Alfieri is non straight involved in the convoluted relationships that take topographic point in the flat. he has the advantage of holding a less emotional reaction to the happenings. Alfieri besides has the advantage of being able to believe about things rationally before offering an sentiment. When trying to steer Eddie in his convulsion. Alfieri informs him that he can take no legal action. In making so. Alfieri is moving out of freewill. Nothing is coercing him to state Eddie this. Theoretically. Alfieri could disregard the legal facet and Tell Eddie to take his opportunities. Alternatively. Alfieri offers his ain advice. to “let her go” . Although Alfieri’s inherent aptitude to seek declaration may be seen as more acted upon than moving. his force per unit area in steering Eddie to make the right thing. or lack thereof. is freewill. as Alfieri made the pick in non coercing Eddie to halt playing in the mode that he was. For this ground. Alfieri is moving more than he is acted upon.

Although each of the male characters in Miller’s play A Position From The Bridge represents a different function and different type of adult male. each of their actions can be seen as either an act of freewill or an act of determinism. In many cases. it appears that there is no other manner for the incident to happen. At other times. the characters make picks. exerting their freewill. As Eddie. Rodolpho and Marco are all emotionally involved in the relationships in the drama ; their actions tend to be Acts of the Apostless of determinism. All three are trapped in gender functions. non desiring to look weak. As Alfieri is more of an looker-on in the drama. his actions are a consequence of freewill. Confident with his maleness. he is able to make up one’s mind what to make. non be forced into making something. For this ground. the male characters in A Position From The Bridge can be said to be preponderantly more acted upon than moving.