Willy Tragic Hero

Introduction

Death of a Salesman reveals the story of an American man confronting failure in a success-driven society and shows the tragic path which eventually leads to his suicide. Willy Loman believes in what he considers the promise of the American Dream wholeheartedly, which is based on the Declaration of Independence stated by Thomas Jefferson in 1776: "We believe that all men are born with these inalienable rights - life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."(Malone, 28)

However, Willy is too caught up in this masculine dream and it does not succeed as he wishes. He tries to live up to it and prove himself by working as a successful salesman, but he does not even come close to it. The play examines the cost of blind faith in the American
The tragic hero in the classical world is a "mixture of good and bad characteristics", who is "usually a person of importance who is undone by some personal flaw" (Pucci, 56). He has a "tragic flaw", that is the cause of his downfall. Without the "distinct moment of epiphany", and "compulsion to evaluate himself justly" (Pucci, 57), the tragic ending is the consequence of a hero. Traditionally, the tragic hero is a king or queen, someone who has the respect of a whole country. Willy can be seen as a modern tragic hero. He is a good man who tries to take care of the family, but his faulty personality, the financial struggles, and his inability are substantial flaws that contribute to his failure and tragic end. His problem is that he completely accepts the values of his society that he judges himself by standards rooted in social myths, such as the myth of a perfect, money-making salesman. He has a series of ups and downs which is close to the tragic figure. He is an aging salesman who sells nothing, and repeatedly borrows money from Charley to pay for household installments. It is hard to tell if Willy finally learns his lesson. He seems to be unable to face the miserable reality of life. If there is such a lack of insight, it will be strikingly similar to traits of the tragic
After his epiphany in Bill Oliver 's office, Biff determines to break through the lies surrounding the Loman family. He wants to come to realistic terms with his own identity. He announces that he is only a shipping clerk and he realizes that he has never been a real salesman. Biff 's identity revelation intends to reveal the simple and humble truth behind Willy 's fantasy. Both of them face disillusionment, reflecting Pleck 's notion of the son being "regarded as extensions of their fathers" (Kimmel, 85). But Biff does a better job in acknowledging his failure and eventually manages to confront it. Willy is the "Father as Moral Overseer" (Kimmel, 84) in the play as he constantly tries to put Biff on the right track. He gets mad at the end because Biff has stolen Bill Oliver 's fountain pen, trying to "restrain the children 's sinful urges and encourage the development of sound