Suspense Techniques Applied by Alfred Hitchcock Research Paper

The heart races and a rush of adrenaline courses through veins. That gut wrenching feeling turns and churns the insides of many. Eyes are wide open and glued onto the moment that everyone’s been waiting for. Suspense. So how is this simple technique used to grab the attention of audiences and keep them trapped in stories?

Suspense is a method used by many writers and filmmakers to get their audience more engaged in their works. Writers can incorporate this by using techniques such as dramatic irony, repetition, foreshadowing, and much more as long as it induces the audience to ask themselves what’s next to come. It should bring out the feeling of anxious curiosity as events slowly unfold. As writers intentionally force readers and audiences to speculate and wonder what's going to happen next, tension builds and suspense is created.

One formula for creating suspense comes from the master of suspense, director, Alfred Hitchcock. When Alfred Hitchock writes his movies, he creates suspense using dramatic irony, or as he calls it, “playing God.” For example, “The audience knows everything from the start, the players know nothing. There is not a single detail to puzzle the audience… No one on the screen knows except the two murderers. The fact that the audience watches actors go blithely through an atmosphere that is loaded with evil makes for real suspense” (Hitchcock 6). This demonstrates that Hitchcock creates suspense by giving the audience the ability to be all knowing. Having the audience know important information that some characters do not will allow them to be curious and anticipate the events that are yet to come. They know the truth behind everything, so the knowledge of characters in a film casually hanging around the antagonists or danger that lies ahead, will want the audience to be more engaged as they want to see what happens to the characters and the endings they’ll face. Another method used to create suspense can be found in the incredible, yet horrifying literary works of Edgar Allen Poe. Edgar Alan Poe fills his story with intense suspense, as he continuously uses repetition within his word choice. In his story, “Tell-Tale Heart,” the narrator begins to stress out and feel guilty about the fact that the authorities may know that he was the one who murdered the old man. For example, “It grew louder—louder— louder! And still the men chatted pleasantly, and smiled. Was it possible they heard not? Almighty God!— no, no! They heard!—they suspected!—they knew! —they were making a mockery of my horror!—this I thought, and this I think. But anything was better than this agony! Anything was more tolerable than this derision! I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or die!—and now—again— hark! louder! louder! louder! louder! —” (Poe 64). Based on this evidence, suspense is built by added repetition in word choice. Repetition allows readers to recognize what’s important and can emphasize the emotions characters feel during dramatic events. This makes us anticipate alongside the narrator about what’s next to come. The use of repetition can prolong the main climax , as it enhances interesting, important words, which increases our anxiety and creates great suspense. W.W. Jacobs uses his own, shocking take on suspense within his well-known short stories. Jacobs adds foreshadowing throughout his plots, building the audiences’ anticipation and curiosity. His short story, “The Monkey’s Paw,” tells about a family who was granted three wishes, but they don’t acknowledge the consequences of making a wish using the paw. For example, “‘How could wishes be granted in these days? And if they could. How could two hundred pounds hurt you, father?’ ‘Might drop on his head from the sky,’ said the frivolous Herbert. ‘Morris said the things happened so naturally,’ said his father, ‘that you might if you so wished attribute it to coincidence” (Jacobs 15). W. W. Jacobs builds suspense in this story by foreshadowing events. Before everything goes down, hints are given leading up to the main event. Hints help build the audiences’ curiosity as they begin to expect things, but are unsure when they will happen. So when everything goes down, it’ll be an expected shock and allow the audience to be on the edge of their seats. With all this in mind, it’s clear to see how suspense can be used in various ways, yet it all comes down to forcing the audience to question events that are yet to come.

In order for a crowd to achieve that feeling of suspense, writers must evoke curiosity and the build up of anticipation within the crowd as they experience their works. That’s what sets up for successful suspense.