Willy Tragic Hero
Willy should be considered a tragic hero. Throughout the book, The Death of a Salesman, we see how Willy’s character develops and how he is a tragic hero. Some may argue that he is not a tragic hero because he is not a good father due to his excessive pride, but this can be overlooked since Arthur Miller, the author of the play, even supports the fact that he is a tragic hero. Furthermore, the flashbacks willy sees show that he does indeed wants to be a good father which means that he is a tragic hero.
“Tragedy and the Common Man,” was an essay written by Arthur Miller, in which he explains how a common man can be seen as a tragic hero. Willy is considered a common man since he is supposed to represent the average man trying to support his …show more content…
Many would argue with this claim, saying, “ Willy is not a good father… and… is unable to admit his faults because he has too much pride.” This quote is trying to saying that willy shouldn’t be considered a tragic hero since he is not a good father which is due to his excessive pride but, excessive pride is the very definition of Hubris, which is a very important trait required of a tragic hero. Furthermore,in the play, Willy has flashbacks of the past. This is shown in the following quote, “ Willy:You mean to say Bernard wouldn’t give you the answers? Biff: ...but i only got you a sixty one... Willy:And they won’t give you four points? Biff:... would you talk to him… Willy:... your on. We’ll drive right back.” This flashback to this specific point means that willy regrets telling his son to cheat and only wants the best for his son. This goes back to Miller's essay, we should judge Willy’s intentions and not what he did, which proves that he is a tragic hero.
All in all, Willy should be considered a tragic hero. Even though people would say that him not being a good father would make him an ineligible candidate to be a tragic hero, his intentions are good and that's what matters, according to Arthur Miller. Also Arthur Miller, the author, says he’s a tragic hero, so he must be a tragic
“Tragedy and the Common Man,” was an essay written by Arthur Miller, in which he explains how a common man can be seen as a tragic hero. Willy is considered a common man since he is supposed to represent the average man trying to support his …show more content…
Many would argue with this claim, saying, “ Willy is not a good father… and… is unable to admit his faults because he has too much pride.” This quote is trying to saying that willy shouldn’t be considered a tragic hero since he is not a good father which is due to his excessive pride but, excessive pride is the very definition of Hubris, which is a very important trait required of a tragic hero. Furthermore,in the play, Willy has flashbacks of the past. This is shown in the following quote, “ Willy:You mean to say Bernard wouldn’t give you the answers? Biff: ...but i only got you a sixty one... Willy:And they won’t give you four points? Biff:... would you talk to him… Willy:... your on. We’ll drive right back.” This flashback to this specific point means that willy regrets telling his son to cheat and only wants the best for his son. This goes back to Miller's essay, we should judge Willy’s intentions and not what he did, which proves that he is a tragic hero.
All in all, Willy should be considered a tragic hero. Even though people would say that him not being a good father would make him an ineligible candidate to be a tragic hero, his intentions are good and that's what matters, according to Arthur Miller. Also Arthur Miller, the author, says he’s a tragic hero, so he must be a tragic