Modern Tragic Hero Essay - 1304 Words

Death of a Salesman, considered as Author Millers most accomplished and successful plays, features the life of Willy Loman, a delusional salesman with a grandiose plan to live the American dream. As a result to the tragic events of Willy Loman’s life starting with his father’s abandonment, and ending with his suicide, Willy Loman never lives the life he has always dreamed. Although, arguably discredited as a tragic hero, Willy Loman attains the qualities essential to credit him as a tragic hero of modern times. Whether or not Willy Loman is a tragic hero in Death of a Salesman’s has been a subject of controversy since the play’s first production. Traditional Aristotelian perception of a tragedy asserts that a tragic hero†¦show more content†¦The abandonment left Willy with no one to direct him towards the right path, this is evident when Willy states, â€Å"dad left when I was such a baby and I never had a chance to talk to him and well I stil l feel kind of temporary about myself† (act 1). Willy struggles with unanswered questions about his father, and in turn, he looks to his imaginary brother Ben for answers to his questions. Predisposed to abandonment Willy Loman had no one to show him how to be a good father, and for Willy staying by his family’s side, and raising his kids is a heroic quality. Willy had misguided conceptions, and failed aspirations, which ironically gave his sons an example of how not to live life. Willy’s son Biff realized his father’s deluded interpretation of attaining happiness, and rejected making the same mistakes. Willy never had an influence to guide him through his choices. When his brother Ben Visits him he is eager to know if he is raising his kids the right way, and he shows very noble qualities when he takes the responsibility for his son’s failures even though he never had a father figure to provide an example of how he should raise them. Counter to t he previous claim, Willy did in fact abandon his family not once but twice. The first time occurred during his affair with the woman in Boston the second when he committed suicide. However, the woman in Boston contributes to the idea of Willy Loman as a tragic hero. Aristotle’s view of a tragic heroShow MoreRelatedDeath of a Salesman-Is Willy a Modern Tragic Hero?2271 Words   |  10 PagesAttention, attention must be paid to such a man. In which parts of the play can Willy Loman be considered great, and where does he seem a low man. Do you agree that he is truly a modern tragic figure? Death of a Salesman is a play that has come to redefine the concept of modern tragedy. 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