An Inspector Calls IGCSE Revision for Edexcel Literature 4ET1

IGCSE Literature in English 0475 - The City Planners by Margaret Atwood

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Revision Study Materials for An Inspector Calls

Below you will find my video lesson, revision PowerPoint and study notes for An Inspector Calls IGCSE revision.

Although aimed at students of IGCSE English Literature Edexcel 4ET1 – let’s be realistic. Any student of IGCSE or GCSE Literature will study the same key points for this literary text:

Context
Genre
Themes
Character
Symbols
Writer’s intentions
Form and structure
Key quotes
Useful vocabulary

Just skip to minute 03:38 if you want to jump ahead past the Edexcel content.

Video Lesson for An Inspector Calls IGCSE Revision

More like this on my Youtube channel: Youtube.com/@Taughtly
Video lesson and resources for Macbeth

Download An Inspector Calls IGCSE Revision PowerPoint

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An Inspector Calls IGCSE Revision Notes

Here are my revision notes, summarising key points from my An Inspector Calls revision video for IGCSE English Literature – Edexcel 4ET1.

Whether you’re preparing for your IGCSE English Literature exam or just want to deepen your understanding of the play, this guide covers everything you need: language, form, structure, characters, themes, genre and symbols. I’ll also explore Priestley’s deeper messages and intentions, and how the historical and social context shapes the play’s meaning.

Assessment Objectives

For Edexcel IGCSE Literature Paper 2, Modern Drama, you’ll be assessed on two key objectives:

AO1: Demonstrate knowledge of the text, use relevant quotations, and develop an argument.
AO2: Analyse language, form, and structure.

Unlike other texts, you are not assessed on context, but understanding it will help deepen your analysis.

Example Questions

Here are some recent past paper questions:

What does the audience learn about Eva Smith/Daisy Renton from how other characters treat her?
Explore the differences between the older and younger generations in An Inspector Calls.
How far do you agree that the play’s ending is successful?
How does Eric Birling change throughout the play?
Discuss the presentation of one character you sympathise with and why.

Context

Understanding the historical and social background of the play is crucial.

TL;DR:

Capitalism vs. Socialism: Mr. Birling embodies capitalism (self-interest, profit), while the Inspector represents socialism (collective responsibility).
Post-War Britain: The play was written after WWII when there was a push for social reform, leading to the creation of the NHS and welfare state.
1912 vs. 1945: The play warns against complacency. In 1912, class divisions were rigid, but by 1945, there was hope for social change.

Capitalism vs. Socialism

The play presents a stark contrast between capitalism and socialism. The Birling family represents capitalist values, where individual success and profit are prioritised over social responsibility. This is best seen in Arthur Birling’s speech: “A man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own”. The repetition of “his own” highlights his self-interest. His capitalist ideology is ironic, as he fails to truly look after his family—he does not realise his son is an alcoholic, his daughter’s engagement is breaking apart, and his wife is unaware of the true identity of the man they are condemning. In contrast, the Inspector embodies socialism, urging the Birlings to accept collective responsibility: “We are members of one body”. The use of religious connotations in “one body” aligns with Christian values of caring for others, making Priestley’s socialist argument morally compelling.

Post-War Britain and the Labour Party

The play was first performed in 1945, just after World War II, when Britain was experiencing profound social and political shifts. The war had created unity among different social classes—men fought side by side regardless of background. This led to increased empathy and an opportunity to reshape society. In 1945, the Labour Party won a landslide election, replacing Churchill’s Conservative government. They introduced major socialist policies, such as the welfare state, which provided housing, free education, and healthcare (the NHS was founded in 1948). These reforms embodied the values that Priestley promotes in the play. The play serves as a political argument: if Britain embraces socialism, it can create a more just and equal society.

1912 vs. 1945: A Warning from History

Although the play was written in 1945, it is set in 1912—just before the First World War. This time setting allows Priestley to create dramatic irony. Birling confidently claims there will be “no war in Europe” and that the Titanic is “unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable”. The 1945 audience knew these claims were disastrously false. This irony ridicules Birling’s authority and suggests that the upper classes are dangerously out of touch with reality.

The stark contrast between 1912 and 1945 reflects Priestley’s warning: in 1912, people were complacent and took their privileged positions for granted, believing their world would never change. But two world wars shattered this illusion. By 1945, Britain had a choice—learn from past mistakes and build a fairer society or continue exploiting the vulnerable. Priestley uses the cyclical structure of the play to reinforce this point: if the Birlings do not change, history will repeat itself.

The Inspector’s Final Warning: Fire, Blood, and Anguish

The Inspector’s closing speech carries a prophetic warning: “If men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish”. This could be a direct reference to the wars that have already devastated Europe, reinforcing Priestley’s message that failure to embrace social responsibility leads to suffering. Alternatively, the phrase “fire and blood and anguish” has religious connotations, suggesting hellish punishment for the Birlings’ sins. This aligns with the morality play aspect of the drama, where characters face consequences for their actions.

Writer’s Intentions

Priestley’s main goals were:

Expose middle-class hypocrisy.
Promote socialist reform in Britain after WW2.
Promote collective responsibility.
Critique capitalism and class inequality.
Show the younger generation’s potential for change.

Genre

TL;DR:

Whodunit Mystery: Subverted because everyone is guilty.
Morality Play: Teaches a moral lesson about social responsibility.
Three Unities: The play follows unity of action, time, and place for dramatic tension.

Whodunit Mystery

The play initially follows a whodunit detective structure, a genre popularized by writers such as Agatha Christie. Traditionally, a whodunit builds suspense through an investigation that gradually eliminates suspects to reveal a single culprit. However, Priestley subverts this expectation by making every character responsible for Eva Smith’s downfall. This shift in structure reinforces the play’s socialist message that responsibility is shared rather than individual.

Morality Play

The play shares characteristics with medieval morality plays, which were designed to teach audiences a moral lesson. In An Inspector Calls, the Inspector serves as the moral authority, guiding the Birlings through their sins and urging them to change. Each character represents a different moral failing—greed (Mr. Birling), pride (Mrs. Birling), envy (Sheila), and lust (Gerald and Eric). The Inspector’s final speech, warning of “fire and blood and anguish,” mirrors the didactic nature of morality plays, emphasizing that failing to change will result in dire consequences.

Three Unities

The play adheres to Aristotle’s Three Unities, classical principles that create dramatic intensity:

Unity of Action: The plot focuses solely on the investigation of Eva Smith’s death, without any subplots.

Unity of Time: The events unfold in real-time, within a single evening.

Unity of Place: The entire play is set in the Birlings’ dining room, reinforcing their detachment from the outside world and heightening the claustrophobic tension.

Supernatural Elements

While the play is grounded in social realism, the Inspector’s ambiguous identity introduces a supernatural or gothic element. His name, Goole (similar to “ghoul”), suggests he may be a ghostly or otherworldly figure. His knowledge of future events and the cyclical nature of the play’s ending suggest that he could represent fate, justice, or the Birlings’ collective conscience. This element aligns the play with stories like A Christmas Carol, where supernatural visitors force characters to confront their past mistakes.

Character Analysis

Sheila Birling

Sympathetic, compassionate, self-reflective.
Transitions from naive to mature, accepting responsibility.
Starts the play as materialistic (“Mummy, isn’t it a beauty?”), but later rejects Gerald’s engagement ring, symbolising her moral growth.
Acknowledges wrongdoing (“I know I’m to blame—and I’m desperately sorry”), showing emotional intelligence.
Represents the younger generation’s ability to change and adopt socialist values.

Eric Birling

Privileged but remorseful.
His drunkenness highlights his moral failings (“I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty”), implying possible sexual assault.
Accepts responsibility by the end, aligning with Sheila in condemning their parents’ lack of remorse.
Clashes with his father over moral issues (“You’re not the kind of father a chap could go to”), highlighting generational conflict.

Mr. Birling

Arrogant capitalist, believes in individualism.
His false predictions (“The Titanic—unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable”) make him look foolish and undermine his credibility.
Describes himself as a “hard-headed practical man of business”, reinforcing his prioritisation of profit over people.
Refuses to accept responsibility for Eva’s death, showing no moral growth.

Mrs. Birling

Elitist, dismissive, hypocritical.
Represents the arrogance of the upper class, believing lower-class women like Eva are undeserving of help (“Girls of that class”).
Holds strict traditional values but lacks maternal warmth, unknowingly condemning her own son.
Shows no remorse, reinforcing Priestley’s criticism of the upper classes.

Gerald Croft

Wealthy, traditional, untrustworthy.
Initially appears respectable but is revealed to be deceptive, having an affair with Eva (“I didn’t install her there so I could make love to her”).
Shows some guilt but ultimately aligns with Mr. and Mrs. Birling in dismissing the Inspector’s message.
Wants to return to the status quo (“Everything’s all right now, Sheila”), ignoring the moral implications of his actions.

Inspector Goole

Prophetic, moral authority, socialist mouthpiece.
Forces the Birlings to confront their actions, though his identity remains ambiguous.
Uses biblical imagery in his warning (“We are responsible for each other”), reinforcing Priestley’s socialist ideals.
His name sounds like “ghoul,” suggesting he could be a ghost or supernatural force.

Eva Smith/Daisy Renton

Her fate is ambiguous—was she one woman or many? This ambiguity reinforces the idea of collective responsibility.
Represents working-class suffering.
A universal victim, symbolising exploitation.
Her name (Eva = Eve, Smith = common name) suggests she represents all vulnerable people.

Themes

Age: Younger characters learn; older characters resist change.
Gender: Women are objectified and mistreated of all classes. Sheila challenges patriarchal constraints by the end of the play when she refuses the engagement ring and disagrees with Mr Birling.
Social Responsibility: The play argues for collective responsibility.
Capitalism vs. Socialism: Priestley critiques unchecked capitalism.
Class: Eva is a universal figure representing working-class suffering.
Appearance vs. Reality: The Birlings seem respectable but are morally corrupt.

Symbols

Disinfectant: Represents cleansing but also the pain of Eva’s death.
Engagement Ring: Symbolises materialism and Sheila’s growth.
Titanic: Symbolises Birling’s arrogance and false confidence.
Alcohol: Shows moral decay and escapism.
Phone: Symbolises authority and unavoidable consequences.
Photograph: Represents truth and guilt.

Form & Structure

Understanding the play’s form and structure is essential to grasping how Priestley constructs meaning and builds dramatic tension:

Dramatic Irony: Priestley uses dramatic irony to undermine Mr. Birling’s authority and highlight his ignorance. For example, Birling confidently declares that the Titanic is “unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable”, and that there will be “no war”—statements that the audience, in 1945, knows to be false. This technique makes Birling seem foolish and unreliable, thereby encouraging the audience to dismiss his capitalist ideology.
Cyclical Structure: The play’s ending mirrors its beginning, reinforcing the idea of history repeating itself. The final telephone call—announcing that a real inspector is on the way—suggests that the Birlings have been given a second chance to accept responsibility. This cyclical structure highlights Priestley’s message: unless society learns from past mistakes, it will suffer continuous moral failures.
Cliffhangers & Act Structure: The play is divided into three acts, each ending on a moment of high tension:
- Act 1: Ends with the dramatic entrance of the Inspector, disrupting the Birlings’ comfortable dinner.
- Act 2: Concludes with the revelation that Eric is the father of Eva’s unborn child, leaving the audience in suspense.
- Act 3: The final twist—the realisation that another inspector is on the way—leaves the audience questioning whether the Birlings will change.
Interrogative Structure: The Inspector’s systematic questioning follows a structured interrogation, forcing each character to admit their role in Eva Smith’s downfall. His technique mimics a police investigation, heightening the tension and making the audience feel as though they, too, are uncovering the truth.
Monologues & Power Dynamics: At the start of the play, Mr. Birling dominates the conversation, delivering lengthy monologues about business and self-reliance. However, as the Inspector gains control, Birling is interrupted more frequently, reflecting his loss of authority. By the end of the play, Sheila and Eric have taken up the Inspector’s message, suggesting that the younger generation will lead the charge for change.
Foreshadowing: Priestley subtly hints at future events throughout the play. Birling’s overconfidence in his economic and political predictions foreshadows the downfall of his capitalist ideals. Similarly, the Inspector’s warning of “fire and blood and anguish” suggests impending social and political upheaval if society does not embrace responsibility.

Conclusion

An Inspector Calls is a deeply political and moral play that forces audiences to reflect on their own responsibility in society. By using a gripping structure, powerful characterisation, and clever symbolism, Priestley delivers a timeless message about the need for social change. When writing your essays, make sure to link back to his intentions and the play’s wider themes.

Good luck with your revision for An Inspector Calls IGCSE!