Shakespeare’s,hamlet, and arthur miller’s, death of a salesman, on the issue of tragedy. assignment

The tragic hero, Wily Loan, in Arthur Miller’s, Death of a Salesman , unquestionably conforms to this description. Wily Loan is a common man, which is evident through his family life, his career as a salesman, and his position in society. Viewers can easily identify with him, which further classifies him as a tragic hero. Although Wily is a common man, he still has some greatness. “ His greatness lies in his struggle to claim some shred of dignity. He fights back against a system that is bigger than he is, that destroys ‘ little men’ like him. He demonstrates an ability for self sacrifice. (Class notes, Death of a Salesman- Is it a Tragedy). This is demonstrated through Will’s discussion with Howard about getting further ahead in his business, “ You can’t eat the orange and throw the peel away—-a man is not a piece of fruit. ” (Arthur Miller, Death of a Salesman, peg. 4). Wily is attempting to Justify his position in society and fight back against the system, which he inevitably fails miserably at doing. By comparing Shakespearean Hamlet with Wily Loan in Arthur Miller’s, Death of a Salesman, it is evident that the tragic hero is a key element to every tragedy.

Although their positions in society are slightly different they both posses qualities of greatness and will eventually be doomed by these qualities. A tragedy would not be a true tragedy without the presence of the tragic hero, which is why audiences are still attracted to tragedies after hundreds of years. Although the tragic hero is acclaimed to be deemed with the qualities of greatness, the tragic hero is certainly not perfect. In fact, this strong imperfection is know as the hero’s tragic flaw. The hero’s tragic flaw is what distinguishes him from any other character.

As Bradley writes, “[The tragic hero] need not be good, but should have so much of greatness that in his error and fall we are vividly conscious of the possibilities of human nature. ” (Class notes, Tragedy and The Tragic Hero). The feeling evoked is that if waste. Both Hamlet and Wily had great possibilities in life but the blindness of their tragic fall caused them to waste their chances and waste their life. This expected tragic ailing has remained constant over time and is what continues to appeal to audiences time and time again.

Tragedies are literary works which are continually filled with suffering, destruction, and most often death. However, through this suffering, the tragic concept is that “ man endures and gains through suffering. ” (Class notes, Tragedy and the Tragic Hero) The destruction in each tragedy is never meaningless, it has significant relevance. Although, emotions are aroused, tragedy does not leave viewers feeling depressed. The goal of a tragedy is to leave viewers in a state of catharsis. “ The word athirst implies that tragedy purges, removes, or unclogs negative emotions, such as pity and fear that build up within the human spirit. (Some thoughts About Tragedy, both literary and mundane) Tragedy cleanses, purifies, and thus rids viewers of negative emotions, such as, anger, pity, and fear, and turns them into something good. Viewers endure the tragedy but then gain through suffering by purifying their unhealthy emotions into something healthy. Catharsis is evident in today, as it did hundreds of years ago. At the end of Hamlet, viewers are left with a very negative scene of blood, and many meaningless deaths. As depressing as it may seem, it is not meant to leave the audience feeling depressed.