... Discuss. On the surface, Arthur Miller's groundbreaking play, Death of a Salesman, does seem firmly rooted in the "familial arena". The whole play is structured to gradually reveal the deteriorating condition of Willy's mind as well as the worsening relations of the entire Loman family, through a series of complex flashbacks. Beneath this, however, the structure of American society as a whole is analyzed and the ideals of the nation held up ... for review. Many of these come ... not lead to success as both boys are still described as "lost". The ideal of the American family also questio...

• Word Count: 1911
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Although Willy Loman does not fit the classic definition of a tragic hero of Greek or Shakespearean times, he does constitute as a tragic hero according to Arthur Miller. He exhibits the tragedy of the "common man" in today's modern American society where nobility does not prevail in the least. Despite possessing "high-bred character," Willy Loman can be considered a tragic hero like Macbeth or Oedipus because he expierienced a tragic fall as well. The point of the tragic hero being so noble and of high rank is so that the audience can feel great sympathy for the hero because they fell from su...

• Word Count: 546
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate