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"Death Of A Salesman": Tragedy As Defined By Aristotle

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8 pages in length. To label Arthur Miller's poignant play Death of a Salesman a tragedy is to acknowledge the human condition and all its inherent shortcomings, where the main character believes he is worth more dead than alive. Considered to be one of the major accomplishments of modern American theater, Death of a Salesman taps into the nothingness many people experience in their lives, a far too common attribute readily applicable to Aristotle's perception of tragedy. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

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8 pages (~225 words per page)

File: LM1_TLCDthSl.rtf

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worth more dead than alive. Considered to be one of the "major achievements of modern American theatre" (Arthur Miller), Death of a Salesman taps into the nothingness many people experience in their lives, a far too common attribute readily applicable to Aristotles perception of tragedy. Defining the tragic hero, Aristotle contends he must be "a man extraordinarily good or just, who yet brings misfortune on himself not by vice or depravity, but by some error or frailty [i.e., a tragic flaw in the character]" (Tragic Plot). Willy Loman tries to be a successful businessman, husband and friend, but he can only see his failures. Lomans inability to see past the negativity and gain sight of all the good things in life represents the crux of the story, despite the fact that he heralds himself as a rousing success in the company of his family and friends. Ultimately out of work and desperate, Loman begins to entertain the idea of cashing in on his life insurance, thinking that he could better support his family if he was not around (Arthur Miller). "...Everybody loves Willy except Willy. Its a rare thing in a play, I think, and maybe that is what does it. We are faced with the spectacle of all that love being lost on someone who can t receive it. The secret of playing Willy is that the audience have to fall in love with him, too, and if it is done right, they do. They dont want to see him go down and they are terribly moved when he does. It is, unfortunately, life" (Bigsby 24). Aristotles viewpoint on tragedy linked fear and pity as two of the primary components; when one looks ...

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