Common Man Tragedy in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman Essay

The idea of loosenesstic catastrophe is a classical unity, discussed in Aristotles Poetics. Before it can be formal as to whether Miller really has written a tragedy or not, the very concept of tragedy essential be investigated. Aristotle asserted, catastrophe is a representation, an imitation, of an action.1? He went on to outline the common features sad drama moldiness have. cataclysm has six elements, which, in order of importance, are plot, character, thought, music, language, and spectacle. The plot requires peripeteia, anagnorisis, and cathartic effect. It must take place in one day, in one setting, with a unity of plot (i.e. all tragic, no comic subplot). The character must be ?good? (there is some debate as to the vague record of this word), be true to type, be consistent in behaviour, be a not bad(p) populace (that is, to be representative of a whole society), and have one single tragic flaw. Thought is exactly that the ideas that the speakers express in lang uage. practice of medicine is also self-explanatory. As for language and spectacle, the development of these is the perpetual instinct of drama to struggle closer 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 twist 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 Biff is crushed by the discovery of the mistress, so lots 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 testify poor judgement. ?Willy is not simply a victim of that success-mongering culture. Miller wishes us to see tha t Willy accepts the success value all too easily and completely. The ply suggests that, along with our pity for Willy, we take a critical attitude.8? BibliographyBROWN, J. R. and HARRIS, B. (1974) American dramatics ARNOLDDOWNER, A. S. (1975) American Drama and Its Critics CHICAGOKERNAN, A. B. (1967) The Modern 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