Who Is Willy Loman A Tragic Hero

With a sudden ending Arthur Miller fulfills the death he indicated within the title of the play “Death of a Salesman” by taking the life our the tragic hero Willy Loman. This modern-day tragedy is a work of art within today’s modern time, but can Willy Loman’s life and eventual death really be viewed as a tragedy? I will be using Arthur Miller’s definition of a “tragic character” to justify Loman’s tragic life and death. I will also be defending the Miller’s view on tragedy against that of Aristotle the more classical view believing that “tragedy imitating an action which has serious implications.” (Jacobus, 68).

Willy Loman fulfills this idea of a modern tragedy by ending his own life to maintain his identity as a father. The definition of a modern tragic character can be defined by Arthur Miller as a character who is “ready to lay down his own life, if need be, to secure one thing - his own identity.” (Miller, 709). Willy Loman

68) Nothing about Willy Loman was to the point where it could be considered serious. Loman was an educated man who although became very much mental towards the end of his days never performed any of his actions with serious implications, but rather did everything that he did to keep himself being who he was, a businessman. “May you rot in hell if you leave this house” (Miller.II.704) were some of the degrading things Loman told his son while still being in the house. He wanted to rule those above him and seemed as though he was in the upper hand, but never were his actions serious to the point where he would do anything in his own power just to maintain that superiority he had gained. Loman just wanted to be loved by his son Biff just like he wanted to be loved by the rest of his family was willing to do anything to keep them with him even if it came out as a word vomit, but nothing was ever