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A theme is an idea that runs through a text. A texttext: Any piece of writing. More widely, a text can be anything that conveys meaning - eg, a film, tv programme, advert, website, or image. may have one themetheme: A central, unifying idea that runs through a text or performance. or many. Understanding the themes makes the text more than 'just' a story - it becomes something more significant, because we're encouraged to think deeper about the story and work out what lies beyond the plot.
In A View from the Bridge, the central themes are Love, Justice and the Law, and Codes of Honour. Together, they help us to learn about the characters and understand why they act as they do.
Love
There are various types of love explored in the play. From which characters do we learn about the different sorts of love?
Different types of love
Love in 'A View From the Bridge'
| Type of Love | Characters |
|---|---|
| Love of a family |
|
| Father - daughter love |
|
| Brotherly love |
|
| Romantic / married love |
|
| Love of a place |
|
The play shows us that love is not always beautiful - it is responsible for all the conflictconflict: disagreements between different interest groups between the characters. It is a deep passion that can create jealousy and cause pain both to the person who loves, the person who is loved and those around them. For Eddie, love also causes conflict within himself when he cannot admit to his illicit love for Catherine.
What do you imagine happens to the lovers Catherine and Rodolpho at the end of the play? Do they go on to find happiness? What about Beatrice?
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