Ashley Lawrence 4044

To What Extent is Willy Loman a Tragic Hero?

The character of Willy Loman is created by Miller to show a man out of place in
the world he finds himself in. Though it may be true that in the eyes of Greek scholars
Miller’s tale may not be of enough consequence or significance to be considered ‘tragic’
in the same sense as ancient heroes and Shakespearian Kings, his struggle with his
situation, the sense of inevitability and destiny that surrounds him, the choices he makes
and the repercussions they have upon his family make the character of Willy a tragic hero
in the contemporary sense of the term.

Firstly, an important feature of the tragic hero is that the character must inspire
pity and terror in the audience, that is, the audience must empathise with the hero even if
they do not find them particularly heroic, or even likeable. In terms of plot, this means
that the audience must be made aware of both what drives the tragic hero to act in the
way they do and what the ultimate consequence of their actions will be. At times, this
can be seen as a type of dramatic irony, as the audience are aware of the dark
repercussions of the hero’s actions before they themselves realise the implications of
what they have set into motion. Willy Loman could be said to fit this criteria in that the
audience can see clearly what he aspires to such as popularity, material wealth etc.
However they may not be compelled to pity his situation as the source of all his problems
could be viewed as his own excessive greed/pride (or hubris). Here, some critics would
argue, Miller is attempting to avoid making the audience sympathise with Willy’s
seemingly self-centred aspirations, but instead to understand the social and economic
factors causing them. In this case, the duality and fallacy of the ‘American Dream’ and
how this unattainable corporate ideal can distort the values of the everyday man into
service of the capitalist system. One way that Miller symbolises and embodies the
concept of the American dream in his play using the character of ‘The Woman’. In the
hotel room flashback, Willy seems to treat the woman with the same sort of blind
reverence and desire with which he treats aspects of the American Dream In this sense,
the character of Willy is tragic in that he is unable to embody this deceptive ideal which
he values above all else. This is at odds with the classic tragic hero, whose fate is more
often determined by their intrinsic hubris, rather than imposed on them by external
forces. The admirable quality of the Grecian tragic hero is their absolute resolve and
determination to follow the course of action which they, in their heart perceive as
righteous, regardless of the consequences. Miller subverts this through his portrayal of a
tragic hero with “All the wrong dreams” as Biff puts it in the Requiem. This, in its own
way makes the story of Death of a Salesman even more tragic, as Willy dies not because
of what he believes, but for what he has been forced to accept.

Another assumption that can be made of the Aristotelian tragic hero is that the
hero, characters close to the hero, and crucially, the audience, must be able to learn
something from his mistakes in life. This quality gives meaning to their suffering and,
like a fable, adds value and longevity to the work, elevating tragedy to a cause for
introspection and self improvement, applicable in real life quandaries, rather than just a
form of entertainment for the evening. It is in this way that the ancient Greeks used
tragedy, pondering the events unfolding onstage and contemplating how the morals and
motivations of the heroes could fit into their lives, particularly with reference to the view
the Gods took on the plight of man and his actions under suffering. Superficially, on
reading the Requiem section of Death of a Salesman, it appears that Willy’s family have
not especially taken away any valuable morals or lessons for life, or used his experiences
to influence their own prerogative. “I’m not licked that easily. I’m staying right in this
city, and I’m gonna beat this racket!” Shows that Happy still believes he can make it in
the business world, and still wants to follow in the path that drove his father to the grave.
On the one hand this seems to show complete disregard for the dire consequences slavery
to this way of life had on his Father. However on the other hand he claims he is pursuing
the same dream to “Show you and everybody else that Willy Loman did not die in vain”
although the audience may feel that Happy is falling into the same trap his father did and
chasing the unattainable, he is somewhat redeemed in their eyes in that he seems to do
doing it for honourable, if ultimately flawed reasons, even if he hasn’t really changed.
Biff plans to return to the west to continue to work outside. Although he has always toted
this as his true calling, it is his Father’s death which makes him realise the importance of
pursuing this “I know who I am kid”, once again, no real change in outlook. In a way
Miller is showing that to him, the death of his father represents the final death of his faith
in the American dream. Linda, a typical Millerian female seems collected, quiet and
reserved, notably commenting only that “we’re free...” i.e. out of debt. This seems
another cruel irony showing how only in death can a man really be free of corporate
oppression. Another level of tragedy in this statement is that the only way in which
Willy could be free of debt is having paid off his life insurance, giving the impression
that he has somehow “cashed in” his lifetime of hard work for just $20,000. It is here
that the audience is implored to evaluate Willy and the sacrifice he has made for his
family and weigh up the dense ethical implications of whether it is possible for a man to
redeem himself through suicide, or whether his demise is simply another reflection of his
cowardice and inability to face up to his actions. As to what Miller intends the audience
to learn from these events is open to interpretation. Some would argue that it is open
social commentary on the state of capitalist America, mourning the passage of pre-
industrial times, the decline of individuality and community and the defloweration of the
natural world as invoked by the haunting flute music. However some critics would also
argue that all of Willy’s hardships in life are a result of his own actions and misdeeds,
and that he represents, within his own psyche, both the tragic hero and tragic villain of
Miller’s play, the antagonist and protagonist, with suicide the only logical outcome of the
struggle between the two.
 A final characteristic of the typical tragic hero of old is generally speaking; they
were men of great power and influence. To the Greeks, this is what made their struggle
with their own nature so compelling to observe i.e. they must be “worthy” of being the
subject of a tragedy and to be watched by the public. The idea behind this was that only
men of great strength would have the courage or power to see their own convictions
through to their own deaths. If the tragic hero is a man of great responsibility, a King, for
instance, then their actions tend to have far reaching consequences, right down the social
ladder, bring turbulence and disorder to the society over which they preside. This, on one
level is to make it seem relevant to the audience, imagining what it would be like to be
ruled over by a tragic tyrant. Greek tragedies also frequently featured intervention from
the Gods, which necessitated their heroes being of noble ilk in order for the Gods to take
notice of them. Willy Loman patently fits none of these criteria in any way. He is not a
ruler of a man of great strength; the gods pay no mind to his plight, yet herein lays his
greatest appeal. In the words of Arthur Miller “I believe that the common man is as apt a
subject for tragedy in its highest sense as kings were”. Miller believes that any person
willing to lay down their life in order to achieve what they believe to be their rightful
place in the world is a worthy tragic hero, or as he puts it “Tragedy, then, is the
consequence of a man’s total compulsion to evaluate himself justly.”. Although Willy is
just a common man, this is what adds a timeless accessibility and universality to the tale.
Through Miller’s decision to completely disregard this basic premise for the
characterisation of a tragic hero, he breathes new life into a redundant genre, bringing it
into modern times and making it relevant to a new generation of theatre-goers and it is
this which belies the true genius and reverence of Miller’s play.

In conclusion, in the most ancient sense of the Greek philosophers, Willy Loman does not
fit into the confines of what they defined to be a “tragic hero”. However, if he did, the
play would be somewhat less empowering to watch. It is through Miller’s subtle
subversion and at times disregard for these definitions, but always with the delicacy of a
skilful writer that make this play a shining example of its kind. It is this, combined with a
succinct social subtext provided by the setting, which makes this play a unique and
compelling experience.

Word Count: 1432

Bibliography:

Tragedy and the Common Man : Arthur Miller (1949)

www.wikipedia.com