As soon as Death of a Salesman opened, critics began
writing about its relation to Greek tragedy, usually pointing
out that Willy doesn't qualify as a tragic hero. Without
mentioning his critics, Miller replied with an essay titled
"Tragedy and the Common Man." Death of a Salesman does
have a shattering emotional impact that corresponds to that
of a Greek tragedy. There are some other similarities- the
inevitable movement toward death of the protagonist (or
central character) with growing self-awareness, the single
story without subplots. Critics have hotly debated the
questions of whether Willy is a tragic hero or whether Death
of a Salesman is a tragedy. Dramatic tragedy was invented
and defined by the Greeks. Aristotle said a play has to have
four elements to qualify as a tragedy: 1) noble or impressive
characters; 2) the main character's discovery or recognition
of a truth about himself; 3) poetic language; and 4) the ability
to arouse and then soothe the audience's pity and fear. Some
critics consider that Death of a Salesman is debatable on all
four elements, while others think the play meets all these
criteria. Arthur Miller argued that times have changed- we
no longer live in an era dominated by kings and queens- and
so maybe our definition of tragedy should change, too.
Though he is a common man- Low-man-, Willy was later
described by the author who created him as "a very brave
spirit who cannot settle for half but must pursue his dream of
himself to the end." Though Willy did not have great
intellectual powers, Miller claims he did have a
self-awareness- otherwise he would not have killed himself
when he realized his life was meaningless. The difference
between Willy and his salesman neighbor Charley is that
Willy is intense and passionate and cares about his dream
enough to sacrifice his life to it. A tragic hero is someone
with the dedication to die for a belief, but also someone who
has a tragic flaw or limitation that defines him as a character
and makes the tragedy happen. He has alternatives, but he
chooses to live in a certain way that brings about his
downfall. All of this is true of Willy. Willy's struggle was long
and finally tragic. Linda says, "A small man can be just as
exhausted as a great man." Miller writes, "...this man is
actually a very brave spirit who cannot settle for half but
must pursue his dream of himself to the end." We can find
joy in what Willy manages to learn about himself- and in the
forgiveness and love he wins from his favorite son.