Willy Loman, Redefining the Tragic Hero in Arthur Millers Death of a S

Willy Loman, Redefining the Tragic bomber in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman The events in the life of Willy Loman in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman are no doubt tragic, yet whether or not he can be considered a tragic hero in a traditional sense is a topic requiring some discussion. Aristotle set the criteria for qualities a character must ingest in order to be considered a tragic hero. In order to reach a conclusion on this matter, all six criteria must be examined to determine whether or not they are present in the character of Willy Loman. The first criterion for a tragic hero is hamartia, or a tragic flaw in the characters personality that brings about their downfall. Willy Loman definitely does possess a tragic flaw, and in his case it is pride. Loman cannot accept that he is a terrible salesman, a substandard provider, and suffering from mental illness. He borrows money all week from Charley, his neighbor, so that he can tell his family stories of his su ccessful sales trips. While Willy definitely does possess a tragic flaw, another criterion indispensable by Aristotle is peripeteia, a characters reversal near the end of the story for the purpose of self-reservation. Willy definitely does not meet this criterion. When Willy is terminated from his job late in the story, Charley offers him a job working for him, but feeling too much pride, Willy turns it down, saying hes already got a job. He turns down a chance to make a decent means to finish paying off his house and refrigerator, but turns it down because of his stubborn pride. A tragic hero must have a mix of both good and bad qualities, predominantly good, so that they are more of a character that readers could relate ... ...Sons in which the main characters are roughly like tragic heroes but lack the high standing. They are all just common people, which might lead to the idea that Arthur Miller tried to pee a mold for an American tragic hero. This however, is n ot a topic relevant to this assignment. So overall, Willy Loman is not a tragic hero, but just an unredeemed man destined to be the Low Man. Sources Field, B.S. Death of a Salesman Twentieth Century Literature. January, 1972. 19-24. Rpt. in World Literary Criticism. Ed. Frank Magill. Arthur Miller Detroit Gale Research, 1992. 2366-2368. Hoeveler, D. J. Redefining the Tragic Hero Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman Modern Critical Interpretations. Ed. Harold Blum. Philadelphia Chelsea House, 1988. 72-81. Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. Gerald Weales, ed. New York Penguin, 1996