In 'An Inspector Calls', Mr Birling is presented as a rapacious, unrepentant capitalist who reflects the stagnation of the older generations through both dramatic irony and his refusal to accept responsibility for his actions. At the beginning of the play, Mr Birling is depicted as the epitome of 1912 capitalist arrogance. Priestley initially describes Mr Birling as elitist in the opening of Act 1 when Mr Birling declares that it is 'as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive - community and all that nonsense'. The simile 'like bees in a hive' evokes an image of cooperation and unity, presenting a society where individuals work together for the good of society. However, Mr Birling immediately disregards this as 'nonsense', revealing that the older generations of capitalists are stubborn and unwilling to change their ways. Alternatively, the noun 'bees' could suggest that Mr Birling believes that social responsibility is primitive and animalistic. This dismissive attitude reflects how capitalists believed themselves to be infallible as Mr Birling is constructed by Priestley as a microcosm of Edwardian capitalism in order to personify the vices of capitalism in 1912. Furthermore, Mr Birling's rejection of being 'mixed up together' reveals the classist attitudes of the Edwardian upper classes who did not want to be associated with lower classes. Priestley also uses dramatic irony to describe present Mr Birling as foolish when Mr Birling says that the Titanic is 'unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable' as the 1945 audience knows that the Titanic did sink. This shows how Priestley satirizes Mr Birling in order to depict capitalism as nonsensical. Furthermore, the repeated sibilance of 'unsinkable' foreshadows the sinking of the Birling family, as the Titanic represents the wealthy Edwardian class. This shows how Priestley uses the character of Mr Birling to critique capitalist ideals. As the play develops, Mr Birling is also depicted as imperious and prejudiced against the working class and women. This is evident when Mr Birling says 'it's my duty to keep labour costs down' as the declarative tone reveals his overconfidence in capitalism, which would be dramatically ironic for the 1945 audience who had become much more socialist after both world war one and world war two as in 1945, the labour party won the general election with a large majority, reflecting the changing viewpoints of the audience, particularly as the labour party promised to create a socialist commonwealth. Additionally, the twisted use of the moral word 'duty' is used by Mr Birling to justify his actions, reflecting that capitalists in the early 20th century were deceptive and shows how Priestley utilises Mr Birling in order to warn his audience of the consequences of capitalism. During his interrogation, Mr Birling is also presented as domineering when he says that 'if you don't come down hard on these people they'd soon be asking for the Earth'. The hyperbolic imagery of 'the Earth' suggests that Mr Birling sees the demands of the working class as unreasonable. As Priestley deliberately constructs Mr Birling as the mouthpiece of capitalism, this also shows that Priestley is ridiculing capitalist beliefs that the working class should not demand more than what they have. Additionally, Mr Birling describing referring to the working class as 'these people' reveals how he dehumanizes the lower classes as an inferior collective. Reflecting capitalist views of the upper class being morally superior to lower classes and Mr Birling's avaricious greed to reach this state of superiority. Mr Birling is also presented as chauvinistic during his interrogation when he claims 'it has nothing whatsoever to do with the wretched girl's suicide'. This shows Mr Birling's callous refusal to accept social responsibility for his actions as the adjective 'wretched' reveals his lack of compassion for the working class. Alternatively, the use of hyperbole 'nothing whatsoever' shows not only Mr Birling's blind arrogance but also his excessive pride, as pride is a deadly sin in Christianity this show how Priestley suggests to his audience that capitalism is a moral and religious failing through the characterisation of Mr Birling. At the end of the play, Mr Birling is shown to be unaccepting of change and myopic in his perspective of the world as he says 'I care. I was almost certain for a knighthood.' As this shows his static character development and therefore the stagnant perspectives of 1912 capitalists, as Priestley uses Mr Birling to critique the arrogance of 1912 capitalism and warn the audience against a lack of social responsibility. The noun 'knighthood' is also used to criticise capitalism as it symbolises capitalists obsession with social status and their need for societal validation. In conclusion, priestly utilises the character of Mr Birling as an ostentatious capitalist in order to satirically critique the capitalist Edwardian society of 1912.