DEATH OF A SALESMAN Study Guide for Teachers World-Class Theatre in the Heart of Vermont 703 Main Stre e t ‚ W eston‚ V T 05161 www.westonplayhouse.o rg The Weston Playhouse Theatre Company The 2010 WPTC Teacher’s Workshop and the School Matinee and Touring Production is made possible in part by grants from: The Bay and Paul Foundations Mountain Room Foundation National Endowment for the Arts The Shubert Foundation The Vermont Country Store and The Orton Family Vermont Humanities Council
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Modern Tragedies deal with modern issues such as materialism‚ consumerism‚ procrastination and alienation. To what extent does Death of a Salesman show evidence of at least two of these issues‚ and how does Miller present them? Arthur Miller’s ‘Death of a Salesman’ is a modern tragedy; one that incorporates both the tragic genre presented in theatres for centuries as well as essences of the modern world we live in. Materialism is a modern phenomenon‚ something which possibly began due to the American
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happiness through the hope that there was a life that was filled with happiness and joy. James Truslow Adams defined the term as‚ “ a better‚ richer‚ and happier life for all of our citizens of every rank.” (Majid Salem). In the play‚ The Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller‚ audiences and readers‚ are introduced to the protagonist‚ Willy Loman and his own denotation of the American
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Renata Lemos English 102 Professor: Jeff Ousborne 04/05/2013 The Power of Irony on “The Death of a Salesman” Authors use irony in literature in order to give double meanings and make it more interesting to the reader. In the play “ The Death of a Salesman” Arthur Miller uses irony as a strong writing technique in order to express the character’s behavior. In “The Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller moments of situational and dramatic irony helps to illustrate the story’s theme in which
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Denial Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” has stood the test of time because of how relatable it is to the middle class citizen (Overview). The story is based around the Loman family‚ each of whom is battling some type of personal struggle that audiences relate to. They have the money troubles that many everyday individuals must deal with; paying bills‚ the mortgage‚ and household items breaking down around the house that must be fixed. To digress‚ Willy is an aging salesman that has lived an average
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The theme of the tragic hero is a continual theme in the literature of tragedy. When Sophocles’s "Oedipus the King" is compared to Arthur Miller’s "Death of a Salesman‚ the plots are very different‚ yet both use dramatic irony to reveal the basic points of tragedy: the actions of a tragic hero means the hero is destined to die. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The elements of a play are setting‚ irony‚ plot‚ characters‚ and theme‚ which will be
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to their own downfall. In previous times‚ a tragic hero had to be of noble blood yet in Death of a Salesman Arthur Miller shows the role of a tragic hero is also attainable by an everyday‚ average Joe. The play is about a Willy Loman‚ a mentally unstable sixty three year old salesman who is having trouble fulfilling the expectations of the set out for himself. Arthur Miller‚ the playwright of Death of a Salesman redefines the criteria of a tragic hero‚ successfully allowing a common man to play the
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Death of a Salesman is the fictional play that tells the story of Willy Loman and his family’s relationship‚ which is dysfunctional to say the least. Scholars‚ playwrights‚ and actors easily label it alike as one of the most iconic pieces of literature in the 20th century. Written in 1948 by Arthur Miller‚ it still holds relevance today‚ more than 50 years later with themes of work and family issues. This is true because it is a story that people can relate to and understand. But this was not a story
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Death of a Salesman Boston Hotel room (Act 2) In Arthur miller’s death of a salesman‚ Biff and Willy had a complicated relationship along these years. This all happened and started when Biff caught Willy having an affair with other woman. From that moment‚ Biff gave up on this future and his dream of getting into the University of Virginia‚ and his relationship and admiration to his father. The Boston hotel room retreat scene late in Act 2 is significant because it changed Biff’s goals‚ his
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unprecedented reputation can often result in a sickly twisted distortion of reality. In Sophocles’ Oedipus the King‚ a man well-known for his intellect and wisdom finds himself blind to the truth of h life and his parentage. Arthur Miller’s play‚ The Death of a Salesman‚ tells of a tragic character so wrapped up in his delusional world that reality and illusion fuse causing an internal explosion that leads to his undoing. Each play enacts the strugg of a man attempting to come to grips with his harsh reality
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