Common Man Tragedy in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman Essay

The idea of dramatic tragedy is a immaculate one, discussed in Aristotles Poetics. Before it can be established as to whether moth miller really has written a tragedy or non, the very impression of tragedy must be investigated. Aristotle asserted, catastrophe is a representation, an imitation, of an action.1? He went on to muster in the common features tragical drama must have. Tragedy has six elements, which, in order of importance, are biz, character, thought, music, language, and spectacle. The plot requires peripeteia, anagnorisis, and cathartic effect. It must take prop in one day, in one setting, with a unity of plot (i.e. all tragic, no comic subplot). The character must be ? swell? (there is some debate as to the vague nature of this word), be true to type, be consistent in behaviour, be a great soldiery (that is, to be illustration of a whole society), and have one single tragic flaw. Thought is exactly that the ideas that the speakers express in language. Mu sic is also self-explanatory. As for language and spectacle, the development of these is the perpetual instinct of drama to struggle next and closer to real life. Willy Lomans character does adhere to the tragic hero guidelines to a certain extent. Rather than being a man who is a representative of a society, he represents society. His allegorical name of Loman or Low-man allowed Miller to plough the formula somewhat. He is true to type in that he dreams the American Dream, and subscribes to the desire for money and material possessions in capitalist society. Whether Willy is a good man is debatable his affair would indicate that he is not, his wife dotes on him, and thrust is crushed by the discovery of the mistress, so much so that he loses all faith in his fa... ...illy is a victim of the society in which he lives, or a victim of his own poor judgement. ?Willy is not simply a victim of that conquest-mongering culture. Miller wishes us to see that Willy accepts the succes s value all too easily and completely. The play suggests that, along with our shame for Willy, we take a critical attitude.8? BibliographyBROWN, J. R. and HARRIS, B. (1974) American Theatre ARNOLDDOWNER, A. S. (1975) American bid and Its Critics CHICAGOKERNAN, A. B. (1967) The unexampled American Theater SPECTRUMKRUTCH, J. W. (1967) American Drama since 1918 BRAZILLERLUCAS, F. L. (1972) Tragedy ? Serious drama in relation to Aristotle?s Poetics CHATTO & WINDUSPORTER, T. E. (1969) Myth and Modern American Drama WAYNESCANLAN, T. (1978) Family, Drama, and American Dreams GREENWOODWILLIAMS, R. (1969) Modern Tragedy CHATTO & WINDUS