Inspector Goole however, opens up the character's personalities with his questioning. He leads them to confront their own weaknesses, which makes some of them feel shocked and guilty. Others, such as Mr and Mrs Birling, try to remain unaffected by the inspector's questioning. He does this confidently because he is very sure of his facts before he arrives. This confidence transmits to both the characters on the stage and the audience, but in different ways. His calm and experienced methods of making the characters admit their sins make them feel unsettled. This gives a feeling of dominance about the inspector's presence, as he always seems to have a reply for any argument the Birling's might challenge him with. All detectives in a detective thriller have these character traits. .
Mr Birling is annoyed by the Inspector's ability to control the situation and does not like his actions being questioned as they are when concerning Eva Smith's dismissal. The Inspector simply asks why he wouldn't give her a rise in pay - Why?' Did you say why?' Birling also becomes agitated at the involvement of his family and in the middle of act one he says angrily We were having a nice little family celebration tonight. And a nasty mess you've made of it now, haven't you?' the Inspector replies That's more or less what I was thinking earlier tonight, when I was in the Infirmary looking at what was left of Eva Smith. A nice little promising life there, I thought, and a nasty little mess somebody's made of it'. The Inspector repeats words or phrases that Birling has used to increase the power of his own words, example of which can be seen in the above quote. .
The inspector's confidence has an impact on the audience as well as the characters. When the inspector makes any of the Birling's feel uneasy with his unnerving stare or his challenging tone of voice the audience can sense his power. This element of his personality is portrayed well in the television production.
