English: Mr Birling Quotes (Inspector Calls)

'(heavy-looking, rather portentous man)'

Act One: A phrase to describe Mr. Birling

'I speak as a hard-headed business man'

Act One: Mr. Birling thinks that he knows everything because he has his own business

'The Germans don't want war'

Act One: What Mr. Birling thinks about the Germans

'I say there isn't a chance of war'

Act One: What Mr. Birling thinks about war

'You've a lot to learn yet' (about Eric)

Act One: Mr. Birling thinks that he knows everything and Eric knows nothing

'Unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable'

Act One: What Mr. Birling thinks about the Titanic

'Lower costs and higher prices'

Act One: Mr. Birling holds clear capitalist views in a speech that should concern love.

'There's a very good chance of a knighthood - so long as we behave ourselves'

Act One: This quote from Mr. Birling foreshadows what is about to happen

'A man has to make his own way'

Act One: This shows Mr. Birling's capitalist views about how you should live your life

'Community and all that nonsense'

Act One: Mr Birling's views on communtiy

'In 1940, you may be giving a party like this'

Act One: Mr Birling predicts the future wrong. 1940 was the year of the Battle of Britain and clearly enhances dramatic irony.

'Wretched girl's suicide'

Act One: Mr Birling appears to be very unsympathetic about Eva

'I can't accept any responsibility'

Act One: Mr. Birling refuses to take any blame for what has happened

'But you must understand that a lot of young men-'

Act Two: Mr. Birling makes excuses for Gerald's bad behaviour because Sheila marrying Gerald would be good for Mr. Birling's business

'like bees in a hive'

Ambivalent simile that can be taken one of two ways.

'I've got to cover this up as soon as I can'

Act Three: Mr. Birling does not want people finding out about what he has done

'Because you're not the kind of father a chap could go to when he's in trouble' (Eric)

Act Three: Mr. Birling is not a very fatherly figure for Eric

'Your trouble is - you've been spoiled-'

Act Three: Mr. Birling blames Eric for being spoiled even though it is clearly Mr. and Mrs. Birling's fault

'You hysterical young fool' (about Sheila)

Act Three: Mr. Birling thinks that Sheila is always over reacting

'You're the one I blame for this' (about Eric)

Act Three: Mr. Birling blames his son rather than taking the responsibility for himself - he would rather see anyone else be ruined than go down himself

'There'll be a public scandal' 'I was almost certain for a knighthood'

Act Three: Mr. Birling doesn't care that someone has died and only cares that he will lose his social ranking

'There's every excuse for what your mother and I did'

Act Three: Mr. Birling defends him and his wife's actions

'Who will suffer from this more than I will?'

Act Three: This quotation makes Mr. Birling sound very selfish

'Probably a socialist or some sort of crank'

Act Three: Mr. Birling thinks that anyone that isn't a capitalist is wrong

'It makes all the difference [that IG isn't real]'

Act Three: Mr. Birling doesn't understand that the point isn't whether or not IG is real

'You'd better ask Gerald for that ring you gave back to him'

Act Three: Mr. Birling thinks that now they have realised IG wasn't real everything can go back to normal

'(frightened)'

Stage direction that shows how the Inspector and the revelations have hit Mr Birling.

'You're just the kind of son-in-law I always wanted'

Questions whether Mr Birling's thoughts are genuine and that he simply likes the fact that Gerald is of an upper-class.

'I'd give thousands'

Mr Birling attempts to bribe the Inspector showing ultimate weakness.

'better ask Gerald for that ring'

Mr Birling has clearly forgotten everything that had happened.