Blood Brothers - LANGUAGE, FORM AND STRUCTURE STUDIES

Form - Musical Drama

Blood Brothers is written as a musical, blending dramatic scenes w/ songs to reflect mood + reinforce themes.

“Tell me it’s not true…” - Repeated throughout - Refrain - the tragic ballad bookends the play, the recurrence gives the narrative a cyclical structure, emphasising fate + the inevitability of tragedy. The lyrics are emotionally charged + simple, enhancing pathos for Mrs Johnstone. Motif, repetition, musical form.

Fate, Tragedy, Motherhood, Guilt.

Language - Colloquial Dialect

Working-class characters speak in Liverpool dialect, grounding the play in a specific social + regional context.

“Y’ soft get.” - Mickey - use of colloquialism + slang shows class + authenticity. Makes the characters relatable + reinforces the divide between Mickey + Edward. Highlights realism + social identity through language. Uses colloquial language, idiom, sociolect.

Class, identity, friendship.

Structure - Foreshadowing

The play opens w/ the ending, showing the deaths of Mickey + Edward before their story is told.

“So did y’ hear the story of the Johnstone twins… how one was kept and one given away?” - Narrator - non-linear structure heightens dramatic irony, since the audience knows the tragic end but watches how it unfolds. Creates tension, as everything is viewed through a lens of inevitable tragedy. Uses foreshadowing, cyclical narrative, dramatic irony.

Fate, class, destiny, tragedy.

Language - Contrast in Dialogue

Speech patterns differ strongly between Mickey + Edward, revealing class differences.

“Shall we go to the park?” - Edward

“Gis a sweet.” - Mickey

Edward’s formal speech contrasts Mickey’s clipped, informal tone. The contrast emphasises how education + upbringing shape communication. It reflects the growing divide between the twins despite their bond. Uses juxtaposition, dialogue, sociolect.

Class, identity, inequality.

Language - Repetition of Motifs

Certain phrases, images, + ideas repeat to highlight central themes.

“The devil’s got your number.” - Narrator - The devil motif = symbol of guilt, fate, + moral reckoning. The phrase’s repetition gives a sense of inescapable doom, contributing to the tragic atmosphere. It acts like a chorus in Greek tragedy. Uses motif, repetition, metaphor, allusion.

Fate, guilt, superstition, destiny.

Structure - Use of the Narrator

The narrator is ever-present, like a Greek chorus, providing commentary, judgement, + connecting scenes.

“There’s a pact been sealed, there’s a deal been born.” - Narrator - breaks the fourth wall + reminds us of moral consequences of the characters’ actions. He gives the play a didactic tone - teaches a message about class + fate. Repetition + rhyme give a poetic, ominous rhythm. Uses direct address, rhyme, symbolism.

Fate, morality, class.

Language - Symbolism

Objects + ideas are used symbolically to suggest deeper meanings.

Guns in the final scene - represent power, desperation, + social failure. Mickey’s use of the gun shows how far he’s fallen from innocence - from playing “cowboys” to real violence. The gun symbolises the inevitability of destruction when class disparity + mental illness - ignored. Uses symbolism, pathetic fallacy (stormy weather in climax).

Violence, mental health, class, tragedy.

Form - Tragedy with Political Messages

The play combines personal tragedy with social critique.

“And who’d dare tell the lambs in Spring, what fate the later seasons bring?” - Narrator - poetic line uses metaphor (lambs = children) to contrast the innocence of youth w/ the harsh reality ahead. Gives the play a tragic structure, w/ a political message about inequality. Uses metaphor, juxtaposition, poetic structure.

Childhood, fate, class, social responsibility.