Tragedy in Drama

Paper Summary:

The paper attempts to define tragedy as these two works illustrate tragic characters and tragic plots. The paper relates that tragic drama involves a tragic hero, an insurmountable situation and a conclusion that is neither satisfying nor cheerful. The paper shows how the characters of Willy Loman and Oedipus are extremely tragic; not because of their fates, but because of their flaws. The paper examines and compares Willy Loman and his wasted life and Oedipus and his tragic mistakes.

From the Paper:

"In Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman is a classic tragic hero. He is not "near-perfect" as Aristotle's definition requires, but he does evoke pity and fear in his family and in the audience. He is desperate to save his personal dignity, at least in front of his family, and this is an important element in Miller's definition. In addition, his life is tragic, which translates into the tragic plot element of the play. His son Biff is really the only one who understands Willy, and he muses near the end of the play, "He had the wrong dreams. All, all wrong" (Miller, 2962, p. 1054). The wrong dreams and the wrong way of pursing them leads to Willy's tragic end, as it does in Oedipus the King."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Miller, Arthur. (1962). Death of a salesman. Masters of Modern Drama. Haskell M. Block and Robert G. Shedd, ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.
• Miller, Arthur. (2005). Tragedy and the common man. Retrieved from the Virginia Community College System Web site: http://vccslitonline.cc.va.us/tragedy/milleressay.htm 24 Feb. 2007.
• Palmer, R. H. (1992). Tragedy and tragic theory: An analytical guide. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
• Sophocles. (2004). The Oedipus plays of Sophocles: Oedipus the king, Oedipus at Kolonos, and Antigone (Bagg, R., Trans.). Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press.

More papers on Tragedy in Drama:

• Persuasive Essay # 125122 : "Tragedy in "Death of a Salesman"
• Comparison Essay # 112528 : "Tragic Motherhood in Drama"
• Analytical Essay # 127947 : "Ruminations on Tragedy and Comedy"

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