Sybil Birling

Evil-doer
Full Name	Sybil Birling
Alias	None
Origin	An Inspector Calls (1945)
Occupation	Charity chair
Powers / Skills	Resilience Social climbing Social etiquette
Goals	Deny Eva Smith/Daisy Renton funding (successful) Absolve herself of any responsibility (successful) Determine if Inspector Goole was real (successful) Avoid Inspector Goole's questioning (failed)
Crimes	Misuse of power
Type of Villain	Cold matriarch

“	You're quite wrong to suppose I shall regret what I did.	„
	~ Mrs. Birling to Inspector Goole.

Sybil Birling, mostly referred to as just Mrs. Birling, is one of the two secondary antagonists (alongside Gerald Croft) in J.B. Priestley's 1945 play An Inspector Calls.

She, like the rest of her family and Gerald Croft, is partly responsible for causing the suicide of Eva Smith/Daisy Renton.

In the 1948 TV play, she was portrayed by Mary Merrall. In the 1954 film, she was portrayed by Olga Lindo. In the 1961 TV film, she was portrayed by Nora Swinburne. In the 1982 TV film, she was portrayed by Margaret Tyzack. In the 2015 TV film, she was portrayed by Miranda Richardson, who portrayed Queen Elizabeth I and Amy Hardwood in Blackadder, Lady Van Tassel in Sleepy Hollow, Mab in Merlin,Queen Asphyxia XIX in Blackadder Christmas Carol, the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland, Jude in The Crying Game, Rita Skeeter in Harry Potter movie franchise, Emily Brent in And Then There Were None and voices Melisha Tweedy in Chicken Run.

Personality

In stage directions, Mrs. Birling is described as a "rather cold woman". She is of higher social status than Mr. Birling, coming from a wealthier family. She is arguably the most snobbish in the entire family, and certainly the most callous. She demonstrates entitlement to respect from her children and Inspector Goole. She is also patronising to her children.

Biography

Background

Mrs. Birling is of higher social status than Mr. Birling, but possibly lower than Gerald Croft. She is the matriarch of the Birling family, being mother of Sheila and Eric Birling. She is a chairwoman of a few charities which gives her much influence within the company and to the charities' users.

An Inspector Calls

During a dinner held in celebration of Sheila and Gerald's engagement, Mrs. Birling listens to her husband deliver a speech about the future and his dramatically ironic presumptions about it. Mrs. Birling and Sheila leave with Eric to let Gerald and Mr. Birling discuss business and society.

After the arrival of Inspector Goole, Mrs. Birling and Sheila enter whilst Mr. Birling is being questioned. They learn that a girl has committed suicide. Mrs. Birling questions why Inspector Goole is bothering them as they cannot be involved. Inspector Goole dismisses Mrs. Birling and continues his questioning.

Eventually, Mrs. Birling is questioned on her relationship with Eva Smith/Daisy Renton. She tells Inspector Goole that a pregnant woman appealed to one of her charities for support. However, Mrs. Birling became unsympathetic when Eva/Daisy referred to herself as "Mrs. Birling". Mrs. Birling was on the deciding council for whether Eva/Daisy should receive any funding from the charity. Mrs. Birling convinces the committee not to offer her any support by telling them she had been irresponsible and could still contact the father, despite Eva/Daisy telling Mrs. Birling the father would do nothing. Mrs. Birling explains Daisy/Eva referred to the father as a drunk, at which point everyone at the table realises Eric was the father of the unborn child. Goole begins to cross-examine Mrs. Birling who continually denies any wrongdoing whilst Sheila begs her mother to stop talking.

Mrs. Birling refuses to believe this is a fact until Eric begins to be questioned. After Goole leaves, Mr. and Mrs. Birling then convince each other that Inspector Goole was not a real police officer, which, to them, absolves them of any wrongdoing or responsibility.

Having visited the police station, Gerald returns and discovers that Inspector Goole is not a police officer. Mr. Birling then checks with the infirmary if there have been any reported suicides in the local area. Mr. Birling tells the family that the infirmary has confirmed no recent suicides.

In relief and feeling absolved, Gerald and Mr. and Mrs. Birling seek to put the evening behind them, whilst Eric and Sheila remain haunted by their actions. Briefly after, the infirmary calls the Birling's back. Mr. Birling goes silent, and then tells the family that there has just been a suicide who died in the same manner described by Inspector Goole earlier, and that the police will be over to question them.