In this essay I will be investigating the fate and characteristics of

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Recommended: Criticism of arthur miller's writing

In this essay I will be investigating the fate and characteristics of

a tragic hero in a play A View From The Bridge written by Arthur Miller.

The character discussed in this essay is a longshoreman named Eddie Carbone.

In this essay I will be investigating the fate and characteristics of

a tragic hero in a play "A View From The Bridge" written by Arthur

Miller. The character discussed in this essay is a longshoreman named

Eddie Carbone - a responsible family man living in the rough

neighborhoods of Red hook, Brooklyn, New York. A Sicilian community

bound by a strict social code. Eddie's credentials are compared

against Aristotle's view of a tragic hero " one who is neither

villainous or virtuous, moving from a high happy status to a miserable

one through some frailty or error in judgment." Through out the play

we witness the development of this as we see Eddie fall from his high

status in the community to losing everything, his family, respected

name in the community and even his life. By witnessing his downfall

(nemesis) the audience is moved to pity (pathos) because he suffers

from a frailty that we recognize which could have happen to us. This

is what makes him a tragic hero.

Although fate plays a large part in his downfall, much of the events

conspiring against him are caused by his flawed characteristics and

wrong doings. So in this essay I will be determining whether Eddie

Carbone disserves our pity.

Eddie Carbone is respected in his community, seen as a reliable

dominant longshoreman who "was as good as a man he had to be in a life

that was hard and even." His name represents a lot in his community

and brings pride back home. He is a caring family man, Beatrice

usually gives in to his dema...

... middle of paper ...

...he cruel reality of the

society.

Being an uncle, the level of incest is not as strong compared to

father and daughter relationship. The gap between illegal family laws

is smaller creating a stronger temptation for Eddie which makes his

incestuous feeling difficult to ignore. And after all "Eddie was never

meant to have a destiny" Eddie has lost everything, his family, his

confidence in the community, friends etcetera. Basically eddie has

already been paid back for all the faults he uncontrollably committed.

I believe miller has succeeded in making us feel pity for Eddie.

I think Eddie has represented a lot of individuals with incest

problems, shown us how easily it was to be a victim and how

emotionally difficult it is to free yourself. Finding your own

daughter sexually attractive is an easy thing. He has made us wonder "

Is incest really that bad?"

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