How does the Requiem reflect the elements of tragedy explored within Death of a Salesman?

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Rose Nugee

Death of A Salesman Coursework Essay-first draft

How does the Requiem reflect the elements of tragedy explored within Death of a Salesman?

In 1949; whilst America saw the culmination of anti-communist feelings, fear of the unknown and the general hysteria which stemmed from the Cold War against Russia; playwright Arthur Miller published what was seen to be a personal criticism of the American way of life, his play, “Death of A Salesman”.  Death of A Salesman tells the story of Willy Loman, a lowly salesman slowly being estranged from society and increasingly led into confusion by his attempts to escape his own failure brought about by the great American Dream he has served so loyally. It was for this play Miller was brought in front of HUAC (house un-American activities committee) and charged with undermining American Values.

Miller defended himself by claiming he simply aspired to “show the truth as [he] saw it”. It is because Miller insisted on adhering to realism, that he chose a normal, “Loman”, or literally, low man, to be his Tragic Hero. In doing so, Miller broke one rule- that of Aristotelian tragedy, which demands a “noble” hero, of high birth; and simultaneously abided by another, the rule of a Modern Domestic Tragedy which requires an ordinary person’s story to be told. Whilst Milton would have deplored this “introducing of trivial and vulgar persons [into tragedy]”, Miller dismissed all criticism of his choice of hero, demanding his accusers to recognise “it matters not whether the hero falls from a great height or a small one”,  or as Linda puts it, “he’s not the finest character who ever lived. But he’s a human being and a terrible thing is happening to him” the importance then, lies in the way and reason for which the character falls.

Willy does, however, comply with both the moulds of an Aristotelian tragedy and Modern Domestic Tragedy in that he suffers from a Hamartia which results in his fall from grace and eventual death.  Most critics and audiences identify Willy’s Hamartia as his Hubris, his over inflated sense of self-worth and pride, which means he refuses help even as he becomes increasingly lost. However, a few critics complain that Willy cannot be a tragic hero, as he does not have one fatal flaw but many which combine to bring Willy down. This idea, as expressed by Thomas Adler, Ruby Cohn and others rests on the existence of other factors in Willy’s life, Willy is not only proud, but stupid, cursed with the wrong dreams, lacking in vision and most of all weak. It is this weakness which prohibits him from escaping the “Jungle” of the American Dream, meaning he dies within it; a result of it and as a sacrifice to it, hoping that his death will reveal the “diamonds” he seeks.

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Willy’s actual death in Death of A Salesman is not shown on stage, but rather, it is symbolised by the “sound of a car...moving away at full speed” then the “crash[ing] down [of music]” which in turn morphs into “a dead march”, not explicitly showing the morbid act, but implying it heavily enough for the audience to be in no doubt of its occurrence. It is typical of a Modern Domestic Tragedy death not to occur in front of the audience. The music in this ‘death scene’ is poignant, powerful and very implicit to the plot, without it the audience ...

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This essay has an awful structure. As mentioned above, it doesn't really engage with the question until a few paragraphs in. The introduction is exactly what examiners don't want to see: a group of irrelevant contextual points with a short plot summary and no engagement with the task. Similarly, ending with a Shakespeare quote does nothing to your argument. In fact, it probably worsens your argument as you have lost the opportunity to end with a insightful conclusion. There are times where this essay uses the first person, and I would advise against this. A personal tone is not appropriate for A-Level, and it weakens your argument as it makes your views seem more personal rather than backed by evidence and analysis.

The analysis here has potential. Comments such as "However, a few critics complain that Willy cannot be a tragic hero" are good, but I would note you should be careful not to give a balanced argument. It is much stronger at A-Level to acknowledge the counter-argument, and then explain why it is weaker than your argument. The paragraph on irony is strong, looking at the connotations of language used, but I would've liked slightly more focus on the tragedy of Willy. If I were doing this essay, I would've linked "Happy will continue to pursue it" to the helplessness of the audience to prevent Happy's similar downfall, showing the power of the American Dream in causing a tragic downfall. Catharsis is explained well, and this is a high level concept examiners will be pleased to see explored.

This essay only begins to respond to the question half way through! When the question is specifically asking you about a scene in a play, you must begin your argument there, and then use other parts of the play to back up any points formed. I would be wary of starting an essay on the whole play being a tragedy when the question is so specific. When the essay begins to look at the Requiem, there is some good discussion. Looking at irony and the cyclical nature of Willy's death are great ways to explore tragedy, but this needs to be taken further to discuss how the audience respond to this.