Willy Loman Tragic Hero Analysis - 971 Words

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller is a play of multiple tragedies. The word tragedy is defined as â€Å"a dreadful, or fatal event or affair; disaster†. The main character, Willy Loman, shows how one dream can become a disaster through his impractical dreams and failing at achieving these goals. Not only does he fail at his dreams, he participates in an affair that is against morals. The idea of a tragic hero is defined as â€Å"a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat†. Miller believes that the common man is the best tragic hero because it shows that the average, everyday man struggles to achieve goals in life. He thinks the common man fights to maintain self-worth and dignity. Willy†¦show more content†¦Empathy from the audience is also shared when Loman has mental struggles. â€Å"I realize I’m goin’ sixty miles an hour and I don’t remember the last five minutes,† Wi lly explains this feeling to Linda. It shows that he physically can’t control his mind sometimes and makes the illness a weak spot for him. Willy’s funeral was also a let down to his life and makes the audience feel sorry for him; he expected lots of people to attend the funeral, when in reality only his family and neighbor showed up. It was his only wish for the funeral and it didn’t happen. Willy Loman makes an ill decision to commit suicide, but was not intended to harm any of his loved ones. The purpose of his suicide was to give the life insurance money to his family so that they no longer had to struggle. â€Å"Does it take more guts to stand here the rest of my life ringing up a zero?† Willy realizes the benefits of completing this act; he wants to do something for his family. Not only is Willy able to support his family, but he is able to escape all of the failures he has been through in his life. He would no longer have to deal with being a bad father, the affair with his wife, not being a successful salesman, and not being able to support his family. Willy will no longer have to live a life that ehe doesn’t enjoy. With theShow MoreRelatedWilly Loman Tragic Hero Analysis956 Words   |  4 Pagesis revolved around the concept of tragedy and a tragic hero. Aristotle defines tragedy as â€Å"the consequence of a man’s total compulsion to evalu ate himself justly†. A tragic hero is defined as â€Å"a literary character who makes a judgement error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction†. These two concepts apply to the play in the sense that Willy Loman is a man of good intentions, but there is often an undesirable outcome of them. Also, Willy is a victim of himself and his own beliefs. ArthurRead More Modern Tragic Hero Essay1304 Words   |  6 Pagesfeatures the life of Willy Loman, a delusional salesman with a grandiose plan to live the American dream. As a result to the tragic events of Willy Loman’s life starting with his father’s abandonment, and ending with his suicide, Willy Loman never lives the life he has always dreamed. Although, arguably discredited as a tragic hero, Willy Loman attains the qualities essential to credit him as a tragic hero of modern times. Whether or not Willy Loman is a tragic hero in Death of a Salesman’sRead MoreEssay about The American Dream in Death of a Salesman1371 Words   |  6 Pagesview of Willy Loman as a tragic hero because he is convinced that the way to achieve a better life is by living the American Dream. Willy Loman believes that he will find success with the American Dream through his likable personality. Yet, he dies without it, which adds to his tragic downfall. In the play, the American Dream is a misguided perception of success by both Willy Loman and his family. For Willy, the key to achieving success is being well liked. This is a concept that Willy Loman regardsRead MoreWilly Loman as a Tragic Hero in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman1218 Words   |  5 PagesWilly Loman as a Tragic Hero in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman Should Willy Loman of Arthur Millers classic, Death of a Salesman be regarded as a tragic hero, or merely a working-class, socially inadequate failure? Described by Miller as a self-destructive, insecure anti-hero, it seems almost impossible for Loman to be what is known as a tragic hero in the classical sense, but with the inclusion of other factors he maybe a tragic hero, at least in the modernRead MoreDeath of a Salesman1332 Words   |  5 Pagesplay’s titular character in Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman is viewed by many as the definitive modern tragic hero of modern literature. He is a man struggling to gain upward mobility in a society designed to keep him in the trenches. The classic idea of a tragic hero is an important person who falls from a lofty seat in life. Willy, however, is just a common man trying to get to a place he can fall from. According to Arthur Miller, a tragic hero need not be a king or anyone of high rank. What’sRead MoreHamartia in Oedipus Rex and Death of a Salesman834 Words   |  3 Pagesleading to the downfall of a tragic hero. Aristotle defines a tragic hero to be a man â€Å"who is not completely good and just, whose misfortune is brought out not by vice or immorality, but by some error or weakness.† The three key requirements of Aristotle in regards to a tragic hero are; a high social standing, goodness or moral excellence, or error committed by the hero in unawareness or ignorance. Two quality examples of men that portray Aristotle’s idea of a tragic hero, and who also fit the threeRead MoreDeath of a Hero in Modern Tragedy Essay607 Words   |  3 PagesDeath of a Hero in Modern Tragedy *No Works Cited Is there anything that can evoke more emotion from an audience than a heros downfall? The most effective plays in history, from Oedipus , the most famous of all tragedies, to plays like Romeo and Juliet , tragedies are always the plays with the greatest emotional impact on an audience. There are many critics who believe that tragedies can no longer be effectively written in todays world. These critics believe that the tragic mode isRead More Death of a Salesman is a Tragedy as Defined in Millers Tragedy and the Common Man1046 Words   |  5 PagesSalesman. The first major standard of tragedy set forth is:   â€Å"...if the exaltation of tragic action were truly a property of the high-bred character alone, it is inconceivable that the mass of mankind should cherish tragedy above all other forms.† All persons regardless of background, nobility stature, rank, or pretended or actual social division can innately empathize with the tragic hero. In the case of Willy Loman there is a certain familiarity. He is the proverbial man down the block; indeed weRead MoreDeath of a Salesman and Oedipus Rex1348 Words   |  5 PagesAccording to Aristotle, a tragic hero can be distinguished as one who can identify the source of his downfall. In Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman’s character refutes Aristotle’s theory, as he is notorious for blinding himself from the truth which appears quite obvious to others around him. As a salesman throughout his life, Willy’s set his life’s goals on materialistic things and ultimat ely he does not achieve those goals. Distinctly opposite to Willy, Oedipus in the play Oedipus Rex enters lifeRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman Tragedy Essay1365 Words   |  6 PagesDeath of a Salesman is a tragic play written in 1949 by Arthur Miller. The story is about a salesman who lost his identity after having an affair with another woman and can’t seem to accept the changes in his life since the event. The story has been performed in theaters and shown on film for many years. Lee Siegel, a writer for The Nation explains the role of Death of a Salesman in the entertainment industry: Every ten years or so, Death of a Salesman is revived, and every ten years we get the