In terms of traditional definitions, Willy does not fit the bill of a tragic hero, as he is an ordinary man. Some critics argue on his very name “Loman” or “a low-man” saying Miller originally intended to use his name as a pun. His character lacks heroic stature, and not only does he possess a single tragic flaw, but several which collectively contribute to his downfall. For example, he is infidel, to his adoring wife Linda, which contributes to his guiltiness and delusional nature.
Arthur Miller, in writing The Death of a Salesman attempted to redefine the norms set by Aristotle of a tragic hero. He argued that the traditional description of a tragic hero no longer held itself in the modern world. According to Miller, being a tragic hero, or a hero or any kind no longer depended on nobility or rank. He argued that an ordinary man could react with heroic proportions, and in this respect, Willy was an ordinary man, who Miller sought to define as heroic.
The universal nature of Willy’s problem makes him heroic in some aspects at least. The American Dream and the problems it has posed to society seem to be a fundamental theme in which Miller explores this area. Willy believes wholeheartedly in what he considers the promise of the American Dream-- that a “well liked” and “personally attractive” man in business will deservedly acquire the material comforts offered by modern American like. Oddly, his fixation with the superficial qualities of attractiveness and likeability is at odds with a more gritty, more rewarding understanding of the American Dream that identifies hard work without complaint as the key to success. Willy’s interpretation of likeability is superficial- he childishly dislikes Bernard because he considers Bernard “an anemic” nerd. Willy’s blind faith in his stunted vision of the American Dream leads to his rapid psychological decline when he is unable to accept the disparity between the Dream and his own life. This is a universal problem in the 1940s and 1950s and many could identify with Willy’s struggles with the pressures of money, city life, job and a family, even if they could not necessarily identify with the steps he took to combat these struggles.
Willy did have many alternative opportunities that could have turned his life around, and in this respect, he could be called heroic. An example of such an opportunity is that when Charley offers him a job; Willy refuses it because of his own pride and turns down an offer that could have perhaps turned his life around. Another opportunity Willy turns down is the one given to him by his brother Ben, and this refusal has a long-term effect on his psychology as he always thinks back to the proposal wishing he had taken it up. A final opportunity that Willy misinterprets and thus misses is that, when Biff breaks down into tears of frustration in the climax, and Willy mistakes them for material evidence that Biff “likes” him. Willy’s failure to recognize the anguished love offered to him by his family is crucial to the climax of his tortured day. Because Willy has a long conflated successful salesmanship with being well liked, one can even argue that Willy’s imagining that Biff likes him boosts his confidence in his ability to sell and thus perversely enables his final sale—his life.
Another aspect in which Miller justifies Willy, as being heroic is the manner by which Willy lives and dies for his dream. Though his dream seems to be one that has been misinterpreted by him, he is heroic in that he is prepared to die, to sacrifice his life for his dreams. He never gives up his dreams and hopes, and this is emphasized when he retorts confidently to Biff that he is “not a dime a dozen.” Even if he is an ordinary man, he refuses to accept or believe it. He insists on living his lie to the end, and this requires a certain amount of heroic ability and dignity.
In Willy’s mind, his imminent suicide takes on epic proportions. Not only does it validate his salesmanship, but it also renders him a martyr, since he believes that the insurance money from his sacrifice will allow Biff to fulfill the American Dream. Suicide, for Willy constitutes both a final ambition to realize the Dream and the ultimate selfless act of giving to his sons. In the absence of any true self-knowledge, Willy is able, at least, to achieve a tangible result with his suicide. In this way, Willy does experience a sort of revelation: he understands that the product he sells is himself and that his final sale is his own life. In doing this, he ends up fully believing his earlier assertion to Charley that “after all the highways, and the trains, and the appointments, and the years, you end up worth more dead than alive.”
Willy Loman was an ordinary man with his numerous flaws and his delusional beliefs of reality, which implied a universal problem that many could identify with. He had many alternative opportunities in his life by which he could have completely changed his end, but by refusing these opportunities, he ultimately led to his own downfall. His downfall, though, did come with the heroic dignity by which Willy died for his belief in his dreams and never gave up on them. Though he never really had a moment of self-realization, he did understand certain aspects of his life that led to his suicide for example, his worth as a salesman in a professional sense.
In conclusion, and in my personal opinion, Willy Loman is a tragic hero as re-defined by Arthur Miller who sought to write a modern tragedy in The Death of a Salesman.