Willy Loman Tragic Hero

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Tragic heroes always have a tendency to face and accept death with honor. In Arthur Miller’s [A Death of a Salesman] Willy Loman is a perfect figure, who is endowed with tragic flaws. Throughout the play Willy Lowman is characterized as an insecure salesman who gets lured into the desire of the American Dream, rather than attending to his wife, Linda, and two sons.(Biff and Happy) Because of Willy's fame for success, it causes a tragic ending for himself and his family. Linda, who is basically forgotten by Willy, is the only one in the family who seems to be practical. She is aware of the delusion and memory loss of Willy. Throughout the play she deliberately has to manipulate Willy to prevent him from going on an extensive rant about his …show more content…

He has to beg for attention and is always trying to impress. Happy is at the age when he needs his father’s teachings and care taking skills the most. Happy then grows up to live the exact life his father does, unsuccessful. He shares Willy’s state of delusion and is ultimately just shadowing Willy’s life. Happy never learns from his father mistakes even as he matures. Happy is doomed, and is a completely useless, he learned from the father figure and that is shown.
Biff, the favorite son is characterized to have the most potential in the family. While his father and brother are unable to accept their failures, Biff is able to learn from the mistakes made by his family. He is able to redeem himself, or so he thinks. He has looked up to his father his whole life even though he understands that his father has wrong idea about selling. When Biff finds his father with another woman his senior year, he suddenly concludes the truth behind everything his father has been doing.
Overall, in [A Death of a Salesman] the audience is shown just how manipulation and perceptive thoughts can impact a whole family. Willy's needs vs. wants traumatized himself to the point of suicide, just because he was chasing the American Dream. Willy ignored and pushed away the closest people to him and because of this; he was never going to be happy or

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