Part of The Student Room Group

  • Join over 1.2 million students every month
  • Accelerate your learning by 29%
  • Unlimited access from just £6.99 per month

Joe Keller is a tragic hero, who has many qualities and one flaw.In the play 'All My Sons', Arthur Miller creates the character Joe Keller

Extracts from this document...

Introduction

Joe Keller is a tragic hero. Discuss. Drama originates from the plays of the Greek, in which a tragedy occurs. In these plays the tragic hero (protagonist) commits an offence. He must then find out what he has done wrong, suffer the consequences of his actions and perhaps in the end, die. The Greeks saw the death of the tragic hero as being a way to show that the gods are being fair and the moral order of the universe is restored. A tragic hero according to the Aristotelian Unities is a person who has many outstanding qualities but one tragic flaw. Joe Keller is a tragic hero, who has many qualities and one flaw. In the play 'All My Sons', Arthur Miller creates the character Joe Keller. Joe seems to be an ordinary person, though in the play he represents a man of 'class'. ...read more.

Middle

Joe Keller is not a bad man. This effectively makes us see him as a superior man. He loves his family but does not see that the universal "family" has a higher priority. He may think he has got away with his crime, but everyday in his mind, he is troubled by the thought of it. He has this guilt locked up inside him. He has compartmentalized it to avoid feeling guilty. He relies on his wife Kate, not to betray his guilt. The central character of this tragedy is Joe. Arthur Miller shows this in the play because the play is about a tragedy. In this play the tragedy evolves around Joe because he is the one who has committed the tragic mistake. Therefore we always refer back to him. As a result making, Joe Keller the central character of the play. ...read more.

Conclusion

Then later on in the play, when we find out about the broken cylinder heads, we see Joe as a different person. Now Joe Keller is a person who escaped a period of time in Jail. He did this by accusing his friend, partner and neighbour, of the crime that he actually was guilty for. So now we see Joe not as such a high figure, but rather a man who has a major flaw. Now throughout the poem we see him with this one flaw that changes his whole character. This one flaw is what makes Keller a tragic hero. Like a tragic hero, in the end Joe Keller, dies because he committed suicide. The reason he killed himself is because he could no longer live with this guilt and that he wanted set the 'order of the universe' straight, once again. In conclusion, Joe Keller fits the persona of a tragic hero. ?? ?? ?? ?? Zain Khan Y11-4 ...read more.

The above preview is unformatted text

This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Miller section.

Found what you're looking for?

  • Start learning 29% faster today
  • 150,000+ documents available
  • Just £6.99 a month

or


Here's what a teacher thought of this essay

3 star(s)

This essay begins strongly but then becomes repetitive and too superficial and neither the play nor the character are ever really analysed in any depth. When making points make sure to explain them and relate them back to the title and topic of the essay.

3 Stars

Marked by teacher Laura Gater 26/07/2013

Not the one? Search for your essay title...
  • Join over 1.2 million students every month
  • Accelerate your learning by 29%
  • Unlimited access from just £6.99 per month

See related essaysSee related essays

Related GCSE Arthur Miller essays

  1. Marked by a teacher

    The Crucible is a study of power and manipulation." Select any two or three ...

    4 star(s)

    Throughout the play, Abigail abuses the fact she has slept with John Proctor and uses it to her advantage as she still loves him. In Act 2, Mary Warren warns John, "Abby'll charge lechery on you, Mr Proctor." This shows us that she would do anything to save herself, even

  2. Marked by a teacher

    The Crucible act one

    3 star(s)

    What is the argument about lumber wood between Proctor and Putnam? The argument about lumber wood between Proctor and Putnam takes place because Putnam believes he is being paid too little and is not happy with his salary. 16.

  1. What is The Crucible within the play, and how does it bring about change ...

    We must also understand what the Puritan societies in Salem were like. Salem was originally founded by Pilgrim Fathers, who had left their own countries in order to practice their religion in peace. The Puritans had very strict moral codes, and this is probably what caused the girls to rebel, and "experiment" in the forest.

  2. The Crucible - Act 1 – Abigail Diary.

    All this is going on in one town. Everyone is out to get someone else and the innocent are being persecuted! I am involved. Only now have I realised what was really wrong with her. She was terrified of her father, but more so of her cousin, Abigail.

  1. Why is Arthur Millers play called The Crucible?

    Here Elizabeth lowers her voice to speak to John in an attempt to diminish the tension between them; yet for the audience this decrease in volume increases the dramatic tension and creates a feeling of unease. Also dramatic tension is increasingly presented as the play progresses through the setting of the actual play.

  2. GCSE Essay on Act III of the Crucible

    Abigail, although not revealing much with speech, she is portrayed in contrast as enraged to the audience. Upon Elizabeth Proctor's entry, there is a situation of suspense and importance, the audience can tell this because Elizabeth sees Proctor with his back turned which conveys to the audience it is a

  1. All My Sons - How does Miller create dramatic tension in this extract from ...

    Champagne, tuxedos-!" The tension is very abruptly brought down, as it directly follows Chris and Keller's argument. The contrast in tension creates a morbid curiosity in the audience, where they can no longer predict what is to come, which makes the play even better.

  2. The media techniques used in the making of The Crucible and what they connote ...

    other in the film; from the courtroom to Tituba's hole, where she lives, and Parris and Hale begin shouting at her to come out. This shot is a static shot as all it shows is the doorway leading to Tituba's hole.

  • Over 160,000 pieces
    of student written work
  • Annotated by
    experienced teachers
  • Ideas and feedback to
    improve your own work