Tragedy and the Common Man - Miller Redefines the Tragic Hero :: Tragedy and the Common Man Essays

catastrophe and the Common cosmos -  Arthur Miller redefines the Tragic Hero   Arthur Miller states in his essay, Tragedy and the Common Man, . . . we are frequently held to be below tragedy--or tragedy below us . . . (tragedy is) check out only for the highly placed . . . and where this admission is not make in so many an(prenominal) words it is most often implied. However, Miller believes . . . the common man is as apt a subject for tragedy in its highest sense as kings were (1021). It is this tactile sensation that occasions Miller to use a common man, Willie Loman, as the subject of his tragedy, Death of a Salesman. Miller redefines the tragic hero to fit a more red-brick age, and the product of this redefinition is Willie. Miller states, . . . the tragic feeling is evoked in us when we are in the presence of a grammatical case who is ready to lay deck his life . . . to secure one thing, his sense of personal dignity (1021). Willie is no exception. Will ies sense of personal dignity is primarily nominate in his family, most notably his son Biff. Willie transfers his dreams of being great onto Biff and, when Biff is a failure in the world, these dreams affect Willies self-image and sense of personal dignity. To regain this personal dignity, Willie must convey Biff great. In the end, it is the love for his son and the belief that his insurance money will make Biff magnificent that let up him the needed excuse and cause him to end his life. Tragedy, then, is the consequence of a mans total compulsion to evaluate himself justly (1021). It is the nature of man to make evaluations of himself based upon his associates. Willies peer with whom he evaluates himself is Charley. Willie and Charley are somewhat the same age, their children grew up together, and have been friends for many years. Charley has achieved what Willie has dreamed of for so long. Charleys son is a sure-fire lawyer, whereas Biff is a loafer. Charley is successful in business, whereas Willie has washed out. As mentioned before, for Willie to be great, Biff must be great. Willie has failed his job in making Biff better than Charleys son, therefore he fails his evaluations of himself. The blurTragedy and the Common Man - Miller Redefines the Tragic Hero Tragedy and the Common Man Essays Tragedy and the Common Man -  Arthur Miller redefines the Tragic Hero   Arthur Miller states in his essay, Tragedy and the Common Man, . . . we are often held to be below tragedy--or tragedy below us . . . (tragedy is) fit only for the highly placed . . . and where this admission is not made in so many words it is most often implied. However, Miller believes . . . the common man is as apt a subject for tragedy in its highest sense as kings were (1021). It is this belief that causes Miller to use a common man, Willie Loman, as the subject of his tragedy, Death of a Salesman. Miller redefines the tragic hero to fit a more modern age, and the pr oduct of this redefinition is Willie. Miller states, . . . the tragic feeling is evoked in us when we are in the presence of a character who is ready to lay down his life . . . to secure one thing, his sense of personal dignity (1021). Willie is no exception. Willies sense of personal dignity is primarily found in his family, most notably his son Biff. Willie transfers his dreams of being great onto Biff and, when Biff is a failure in the world, these dreams affect Willies self-image and sense of personal dignity. To regain this personal dignity, Willie must make Biff great. In the end, it is the love for his son and the belief that his insurance money will make Biff magnificent that give him the needed excuse and cause him to end his life. Tragedy, then, is the consequence of a mans total compulsion to evaluate himself justly (1021). It is the nature of man to make evaluations of himself based upon his peers. Willies peer with whom he evaluates himself is Charley. Willie and Charl ey are about the same age, their children grew up together, and have been friends for many years. Charley has achieved what Willie has dreamed of for so long. Charleys son is a successful lawyer, whereas Biff is a loafer. Charley is successful in business, whereas Willie has washed out. As mentioned before, for Willie to be great, Biff must be great. Willie has failed his job in making Biff better than Charleys son, therefore he fails his evaluations of himself. The flaw