Abstract
Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" has several strong literary and socially disturbing dimensions, but the one that stands most is its tragic dimension. This paper contends that "Death of a Salesman" is in fact tragic, and that within that tragic dimension there are several themes that are apparent and important: financial failure, emotional inadequacy, false pride, sports promise and sports failure, sexual confusion and impropriety, career stumbling, a dysfunctional family, death and madness. Tragedy to varying and diverse degrees is presented as a dynamic that is witnessed in Willy's family, in Willy's failed careers, and of course in his failed relationship with his son and in his marriage. Additionally there are tragic circumstances within the popular American contemporary vernacular of sports. The paper also examines Aristotle's stance on tragedy and how it compares to that of Arthur Miller.

Outline:
Introduction
What Is Tragedy? Miller's Philosophy on Tragedy and His Perspective on the Play
What Is Aristotle's Philosophy Regarding Tragedy?
The Death of a Salesman: The Literature and the Scholarship
Other Tragic Features of the Play

From the Paper
"After going to lengths to point out that Miller sees the central tragic figure in the play as Willy, Hagopian insists that it's Biff Loman, Willy's son, is the one who "ultimately makes things happen, who responds to the great trauma in his life with an emotional and moral paralysis..." That point could be rebutted effectively, but meantime a more pertinent point that Hagopian makes is that, after Biff finds his dad in a hotel room with another woman; "You fake!" he barks. "You phony little fake! You fake!" And now dad has been fired from his job, and Willy fears his son will expose his immoral deeds to mom. But Biff does not, he just wants to rage at his dad, and say "goodbye to you Pop...let's just wrap it up, heh?" The scene that Willy provokes has definite tragic consequences, Hagopian admits on page 40. "

Tags:willy, loman, pride, family

Abstract
This analysis uses the elements of tragedy defined by Aristotle in "Poetics" to argue that Arthur Miller's drama "Death of a Salesman" adheres to Aristotle's concept of tragedy, including plot, character, diction, thought, song and spectacle.

From the Paper
"The Aristotelian theory of tragedy is one well suited to define Arthur Miller's drama "Death of a Salesman" in which protagonist Willy Loman is a washed up salesman who commits suicide as his final act of providing some worth for himself by providing for his family. In Aristotle's poetics, the philosopher defined tragedy as an imitation of an action that is serious, complete and of a certain magnitude with incidents arousing pity and fear where..."

Tags:suicide, family, dreams, failure, pride, tragic flaw

Abstract
The paper looks at how Aristotle stated that: "Tragedy is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being found in separate parts of the play; in form of action, not of narrative; with incidents arousing pity and fear; wherewith to accomplish its katharsis of such emotions" ("Outline"; "Greek"). Moreover, the paper shows how Aristotle argued that in order for a play to be considered a tragedy it was required to have six parts. The paper explains that these parts included plot, characters, diction, thought, spectacle and melody ("Outline").

Tags:theatre, play, miller

Abstract
This paper considers whether Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" may be considered a tragedy as defined by Aristotle in his "Poetics". The paper analzyes Willy Loman as a tragic hero.

From the Paper
"In his play "Death of a Salesman", Arthur Miller tells the story of Willy Loman, a struggling salesman who must endure a life marked by failure and insecurity. There is a decidedly grim mood throughout the entire narrative, as Willie struggles to maintain a sense of dignity in the face of overwhelming despair. As a result, many readers consider "Death of a Salesman" to be a tragic play and thus view Willy Loman as a tragic hero. Yet, when critics determine if a work may be classified..."

Tags:miller, death of a salesman, tragedy, aristotle, willy loman, pity, fear, catharsis

Abstract
The paper argues that Aristotle would have rejected the notion that the play operates as a true tragedy because Willy is not of great stature. The paper further argues that the character of Willy is flawed in such a way that he fails himself and the audience. The paper clearly shows how "Death of a Salesman" is a tragedy only by modern definitions.

Outline:
Aristotle's Definition is Clear
Critics Claim the Play is a Modern Version of "Tragedy"
The Character of Willy is Flawed in Such a Way that he Fails Himself and the Audience

From the Paper
"While there has been much debate about this topic, the primary thing to remember is that we are not commenting on whether or not the tale is tragic. The question we are addressing asks if Miller's play conforms to the definition of true tragedy according to Aristotle. Many critics, in defense of the play, urge the modern audience to look at the play through a modern lens and come to terms with the notion that times change. Since art does imitate life, we can accept the notion that we as people, and characters, evolve. After all, Aristotle did note that another aspect of a true tragedy was that they reflect real life."

Tags:stature, renown, flaw, liar, Willy

Abstract
The paper relates Aristotle's definition of a tragedy and his belief that the hero of the play is a character of great stature. The paper shows how Arthur Miller's play "Death of a Salesman" contains most of these aspects with the exception of Willy Loman being of great stature. The paper asserts, however, that one of Aristotle's requirements is that tragedies reflect life, and this requires that modern dramas shift from the tales of great kings and princes to common heroes such as Willy.

From the Paper
"Death of a Salesman is a tragedy in that its hero possesses a fatal and tragic flaw. Willy suffers from an inability to face reality. In short, he is blind because the life he dreams about is not the life he lives. In fact, it is quite the opposite. It is good to dream but Willy dreams too much and acts too little. He wastes his life by never realizing that he might not be a good enough salesman to succeed. Instead of facing this harsh truth, Willy would rather invent excuses for why his salesmanship fails. He honestly believes that soon, he will "knock Howard for a loop, kid. I'll get an advance, and I'll come home with a New York job" (Miller 1070-1). He honestly believes that he will succeed and never have to "get behind another wheel" (1071) again. He cannot face the truth about his failure and makes excuses. He tells Linda that the reason he did not do well once was because "three of the stores were half-closed for inventory in Boston. Otherwise, I woulda broke records" (1046). He admits, "people don't seem to take to me" (1047) but he never stops to consider why. The people he works with, "just pass me by. I'm not noticed" (1047), he tells her without further consideration. Willy's fatal flaw is his refusal to accept the reality of his life."

Tags:flaw, life, pity, fear, heroes

Abstract
This paper presents a discussion about tragedies in literature. The author of this paper reviews the beliefs of Aristotle regarding what a tragedy is as well as Arthur Millers tragedy and the common man and then leads the readers on a discussion about the differences and similarities in "Oedipus the King" and "Death of a Salesman".

Abstract
This paper presents a discussion and analysis of "Death of a Salesman" and Arthur Miller's essay "Tragedy and the Common Man." The works are analyzed in light of the contrast between great expectation and tragedy. Willy Loman is considered as a tragic hero.

From the Paper
"In 'Death of a Salesman' the scale of ambition that Willy Loman has for himself and his family is shown in decline and discredit burdened and sullied by the cares of the world. According to Miller, tragedy enlightens and it must, in that it points the heroic finger at the enemy of man's freedom. In 'Death of a Salesman' the enemy appears to be capitalism. If one accepts Miller's statement that the hero's destruction in the attempt to evaluate himself justly posits a wrong or an..."

Tags:tragedy, tragic hero, Aristotle, arthur miller, DEAH OF A SALESMAN

Abstract
This paper studies the term "tragedy" and defines it using the thoughts of Plato and Aristotle and plays written in ancient Greece and by Arthur Miller's works. In order to do so the paper proceeds to examine each of these thinkers and writers and their works. It details Aristotle's notes that defined tragedy and his play 'Antigone' and 'Oedipus Rex', Arthur Miller's 'On Tragedy', 'The Crucible' and 'Death of a Salesman'.

From the Paper
"The simplest, most reasonable definition of tragedy is that found in dictionaries and the definitions of laymen and theater -goers everywhere: "a story with a sad ending." However, literary theorists and critics would quickly be out their jobs if they simply left the common law of art alone. Thus for centuries there have been disagreements as to what constituted "true" tragedy. In ancient Greece, both the merits and ideal qualifications of tragedy were under debate. Plato suggested that tragedy might be best defined as people pretending to be villainous or sad for no good reason, and thus corrupting society. Aristotle, on the other hand, said that tragedy was a form of social good, for it allowed the rational soul to vent its emotions in a process he referred to as a "catharsis." He went on to define the trademarks of a tragedy it in some detail, including such plot elements as the noble birth of the protagonist, and the inevitability of the ending. Works that followed his model, such as Oedipus cycle, set the standard for centuries to come. Aristotle's conventions became a measuring stick for literary critics, though they were not always followed by poets and playwrights. In the modern era, many of these conventions were challenged, and this was particularly noticed in the case of Arthur Miller. After his play, Death of a Salesman, was lambasted by critics for not being a "real" tragedy, he responded with a seminal work on the modern adaptation of tragic conventions. The ideas put forth in his "On Tragedy" were deeply important to parts of his later play The Crucible. It is fascinating to see that despite the fact that many critics saw Miller's works as antithetical to ancient ideas of tragedy, and assumed that ancient tragedies would not be based around the ideals embraced by Miller, in many ways there are distinct parallels in thought between such works as The Crucible and older masterpieces such as Antigone. The inevitability of each play is iron-wrought, and each is driven by the inseparable division between the straight edge of power and the personal freedom of choice and self-definition. "

Tags:tragedy, kings, men, 'The, Crucible', 'Antigone', ancient, Greece, Plato, Aristotle, Arthur, Miller

Abstract
The paper begins by looking at different forms of tragedy and at the purpose of tragedy, as espoused by Plato. The basic element of tragedy (the fall of a noble person due to their own inherent flaws) is discussed. The writer brings in examples of tragic art forms, such as Shakespeare's "Othello" and Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" and "The Crucible," to highlight variations of tragedy. It looks at Miller's seminal essay,"On Tragedy" and at the components of the modern tragic drama. It presents a comparison between the themes of the Elizabethan "Hamlet" and the modern/absurdist "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead," two plays following the same tragedy from radically different angles. The paper concludes with a study of the key to writing a good tragedy.

From the Paper
"The history of the tragic art form has through-out history undergone many apparent metamorphoses, even while keeping certain elements consistent through their many changes in form and theory. This artform is thought by many to have been brought into existence by the Greeks, and it is certainly best known classically according to Aristotle's definition in the 4th century Poetics. Yet the writing of tragic stories, and the role they play in history predates even Aristotle. The Jewish scriptures and Egyptian mythologies both relate stories of overwhelming loss and tragedy and hold these events up as tales which should be repeated often. According to Plato, tragedy on the stage is nothing more or less than play-actors pretending to be sad or villainous for no reason, and thus detrimental to the minds of the impressionable who might be purposefully made sad or villainous. Yet Aristotle claimed, most astutely, that tragedy serves instead a noble purpose (and surely the writers of Jewish scriptures and Egyptian tales would agree) He writes that tragedy serves as a catharsis, a purging and cleansing of the soul. While most other conventions and concepts of tragedy, have undergone and should undergo radical reinvention, this central theme of spiritual or emotional cleansing remains consistent and it may be suggested is the primary reason why tragedy has and should continue to exist."

Tags:purpose, Plato, Aristotle, elements, fall, flaws, Shakespeare, Othello, Miller, modern, Hamlet, comparison