Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman is A Modern Tragedy...

Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman is A Modern Tragedy In the fourth century B.C., Aristotle set forth his description of dramatic tragedy, and for centuries after, tragedy continued to be defined by his basic observations. It was not until the modern age that playwrights began to deviate somewhat from the basic tenets of Aristotelian tragedy and, in doing so, began to create plays more recognizable to the common people and, thereby, less traditional. Even so, upon examination, the basic plot structure of some modern tragedies actually differs very little from that of the ancient classics. In spite of its modernity, Arthur Millers great twentieth-century tragedy, Death of a Salesman, can be successfully compared to†¦show more content†¦It is this tragic flaw that causes the heros downfall. Willy Lomans tragic flaw is certainly bound by his pride, a pride that will not allow him to recognize that he is not the salesman he has always dreamed of being. As a result, he becomes further and further detached from reality, believing mor e in his dreams than in reality. When Linda tries to get Willy to slow down his travels and work in New York, he tells her, Im the New England man. Im vital in New England (1.1347). Yet, Willy has just returned from another unsuccessful New England sales trip. His pride will also not allow him to recognize that he is no longer respected by his sons, nor have they achieved the great successes he has dreamed of for them. When Biff, Willys older son, momentarily falls for his brothers sporting goods business scheme, Willy tells them, I see great things for you kids, I think your troubles are over. But remember, start big and youll end big (1.1379). The Aristotelian hero eventually recognizes the dark truth to his life. With this recognition comes, both for the hero and the audience, further recognition that the downfall has resulted from acts for which he is responsible. After all, the hero is capable of making choices. Willy, too, is capable of making choices, but as Biff states in the Requiem, He had the wrong dreams. All, all wrong (2.1425). As Willy seems to slip further and further from reality towardShow MoreRelatedWilly Loman, the Modern Hero in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman1739 Words   |  7 Pages In Arthur Miller’s essay â€Å"Tragedy and the Common Man†, a picture is painted of a â€Å"flaw-full† man, known as the modern hero of tragedies. Miller describes what characteristics the modern tragic hero possesses and how he differs from the heroes depicted by classic Greek playwrights such as Sophocles and Aristotle. In order to understand how drastically the modern hero has evolved, one must first understand the basic characteristics that the heroes created by Sophocles and Aristotle encompass. 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