Term Papers on Is Death Of A Salseman A Tragedy

Term Paper Title	Is Death Of A Salseman A Tragedy
# of Words	877
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	3.51

Is Death of a Salseman a tragedy

          Willy Loman is often described as a Tragic Hero. To
                       What Extent is "Death of a Salesman" a Tragedy?

Critics have hotly debated the question of whether Willy Loman is a tragic hero or  whether Death of a Salesman is a tragedy. Dramatic tragedy was invented and defined by the Greeks. Aristotle said a play has to have four elements to qualify as a tragedy: 1) noble or impressive characters; 2) the main character's discovery or recognition of a truth or fault in himself ; 3) poetic language; and 4) the ability to arouse and then soothe the audience's pity and fear.
     Some critics consider that whether Death of a Salesman  is a tragedy or not is debatable on all four sections, while others think the play meets all these criteria.  When Arthur Miller began reading plays in college, Greek tragedies made a profound impression on him. He says that he was drawn to the Greeks "for their magnificent form, the symmetry." "That form has never left me; I suppose it just got burned in." However  Arthur Miller argued that times have changed- "we no longer live in an era dominated by kings and  queens- and so maybe our definition of tragedy should change, too."  Changing ideas on the qualities of a "modern tragedy" means also changing the qualities of a "modern tragic hero".  A tragic hero is someone with the dedication to die for a belief, but also someone who has a tragic flaw or limitation that defines him as a character and makes the tragedy happen. Willy is intense and passionate and cares about his dream enough to sacrifice his life to it.  He has alternatives, but he chooses to live in a certain way that brings about his downfall that is the difference between Willy and his salesman neighbour Charley who chooses other ways of achieving success.

As soon as Death of a Salesman opened, critics began writing about its relation to Greek tragedy, usually pointing out that Willy doesn't qualify as a tragic hero. Miller replied  to these critics with an essay titled "Tragedy and the Common Man." He said that Death of a Salesman does have a shattering emotional impact on the audience that corresponds to that of a Greek tragedy. It also shows the inevitable movement toward death of the protagonist with growing self-awareness, the single story without subplots and a clear beginning, middle and end, and the unity of time, as Death of a Salesman takes place within the cours...

This is ONLY a preview of the article. If you would like to view the entire document, you must subscribe to Digital Term Papers. Please register below now!

Digital Term Papers has over 63,000 essays, term papers, and book notes online. Many paper sites will charge you hundreds of dollars for a single paper. Digital Term Papers only charges $14.95 for a one month membership with instant account activation!

Don't waste anymore time! Join NOW!!!

1 Month (automatic renewal) ($14.95)

3 Months (automatic renewal) ($29.95)

6 Months (one-time billing) ($39.95)

Pay by: