Death Of A Salesman :: essays research papers

In the first B.C dramatist known asAristotle started to write a series of plays called thetragedies. They were as follows the play revolved around agreat man, such as a king or war crampfish, who had a tragicflaw. This flaw would as yettually become his downfall and hewould fall from his glory. In the case of obvious it was hishubris and Oedipus, his pride and curiosity. Through out theplay the hero has many opportunities to overcome hismistakes. On the other side, the reason that his nature hesarcomas to it and deals with a sever punishment. Eventhough these types of plays are still written today mostauthors have alter their loom of writing a disaster. Anexample is Author Miller. He attempts to illustrate themisfortune in the common man he makes this in Death to aSalesman. According to Arthur Miller, "the tragic feeling isevoked in us when we are in the presence of a characterwho ready to put his biography aside, if necessary, to see to it onething - his sense of persona l dignity." (Tragedy and theCommon Man p.1) He is saying in this quotation is that eventhat the common man can even be tragic becauseoccasionally the one thing that she prizes the most, his senseof self-dignity, can be so jaded that he will sacrifice his ownlife to secure this dignity. In Death to a Salesman, ArthurMiller successfully shows that you do not have to besomeone important or king to show that. The classical modelof a tragedy is that of someone of a high position containssuperior qualities such as leadership for instance a king. even so the hero always has a flaw, which may be anexcess of one of these qualities such as hubris. This herowhile trying to accomplish a destruction such as a quest willeventually be dealt punishment, which is usually death. Onecould argue that not only Aristotles definition of tragedy istrue but that there can be many different kinds of tragedies.From the tragedy of a common man to that of a family orgroup of people. In opposition to Arist otles view one couldargue that any type of man could show tragic qualities, nomatter what social environment the man comes from. Thehero could range from a highly intellectual and educated manwith great potential but whose flaw is lack of motivation, to acrack addict bread and butter on the street who refuses to enter rehab.The fate of people such as this might not be as appalling asdeath however may be economic failure or social rejection.