For the highest marks in the exam, you need to show an excellent understanding of the relationship between the themes in the play and the context in which it was written.

To show that you are writing about ideas in the play in relation to context, you might use sentences such as:

'Priestley presents the theme of (x) to explore the corruption of capitalist society.'

'The theme of (x) is presented by Priestley who had the intention of promoting a socialist viewpoint.'

'Priestley's presentation of (x) highlights how patriarchal society was in 1912.'

For each theme explored, think:

How is the theme presented effectively to show us something about what was happening at the time Priestley was writing and when he set the play?

What were Priestley's intentions in writing the play and what impact does this have on his audience?

Remember that you also need to closely analyse the techniques that Priestley uses to present these themes.

Now have a go at the following activity which will help you to evaluate the effectiveness of the themes in the play.   

You should always refer to your own text when working through these examples.  These quotations are for reference only.