A View from the Bridge is a dramatic tragedy, following the life of a dock worker, Eddie Carbone, in 1950s America, who is the main objective of the work. He represents the average, everyday man of society, but his character draws parallels with many tragic heroes of the past depicted in Greek tragedies, Shakespeare's plays, etc. (e.g. Hamlet and Macbeth). A tragic hero is the hero of the story who has positive and negative traits and their negative traits are what ultimately leads to death and this is what happens to Eddie. Many fathers and uncles can identify with Eddie when they have to "let go" of their children, but Eddie's tragic flaw is that his immature actions and selfish behavior emphasize his personal obsession with being responsible and being respected. Similar to Greek tragedies, the hero has a fate that he cannot avoid and which is also told to us at the beginning by a figure in the chorus: "... I sat there, helpless like me, and watched him run his bloody course " (Act One). This tells the audience that the story will end in violence, like many tragedies in general. Alfieri is this figure of the chorus and the advocate of the opera. Being a lawyer, he is a trustworthy character and is probably the second most important character in the play, even if he is not part of most of the action. Since he previously represented Eddie's father, ("...I had represented his father in an accident case some years before..." - Act One) he has a connection with Eddie but Alfieri thinks Eddie should 'settle for half' and "bless her". ” (about whether he should let his niece do what she wants instead of what Eddie considers to be doing what's best for her). Alfieri also questions Eddie Carbone's motives and tries to underline the real problem of illegal immigration... in the center of the paper... top left... Louis turns slightly, then walks away and exits at the bottom To the right. But like a tragic hero – having an excessive amount of pride – he continues to fight his point and becomes obsessive again – He is incensed and even little snippets of laughter escape him because his eyes are murderous…). It is also ironic that Eddie is stabbed by his own knife, which highlights the theme of self-destruction depicted in many tragedies (Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, etc.). Marco also importantly highlights the difference between the two societies ("In my country [Eddie] would be dead now..."). This highlights the fundamental difference between the cultures in Italy and America (since the "snitch" would not be killed). Overall, the two parts of this play emphasize the rise and fall of the tragic hero, like many tragedies. Works Cited http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_View_from_the_Bridge