Willy Loman and John Proctor as Arthur Miller's Tragic Heroe
Arthur Miller is a talented and well-known playwright. Over the years, he has produced many plays; each addressing different issues, time periods, and historical events. Two of his most well known works are Death of a Salesman and The Crucible. Miller states in his essay "Tragedy and the Common Man" that "the feeling is evoked in us when we are in his life, if need be, to secure one thing - his sense of personal dignity." He goes on to say that "the underlying struggle is that of the individual attempting to gain his "rightful" position in his society." This is Miller's personal definition of a tragic hero. Although set in different centuries, and societies, what allows these two plays to be similar is the presentation of a character who is ready to do just that, lay down their life in pursuit of personal dignity. Both Will Loman, in The Death of a Salesman and John Proctor of The Crucible are willing to sacrifice their lives for the sole reason of dignity, and self-righteousness. This, in itself, provides an explanation of them as tragic heroes. In order to decipher and define Will Loman and John Proctor, one must first truly understand a brief description of each story. The Crucible is set in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692. T
he town is rampaged by accusations of witchcraft among the townspeople. The story is generated around John Proctor and his wife, Elizabeth. During an investigation, each turn of event is rooted in lies told by a teen mistress of Proctor's, Abigail. Elizabeth tries to protect and save John, while he does the same for her. John Proctor is eventually sentenced to death by hanging. He refuses to confess to his accusations, because after all, they are false. He has too much pride in himself and his name, and is eventually killed. "It is my name! I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How many I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!" This was Willy Loman's calling to sales. There was no passion, or desire for the business of sales; he only desired what sales could get him. Ironically, though, although his intentions could be viewed as good, Willy never was a successful salesman. He would Equally important, the plot of Death of a Salesman allows us to understand more about Willy Loman as heroic. Willy Loman lives in a society in which he feels he needs to be at the top of. He searches for money, prestige, and material items, rather than focusing on his life as a husband to Linda, and a father to Biff and Happy. Willy is so caught up in materialism, and self worth, that when he realizes how unsuccessful he is as a salesman, as a husband, and as a father figure, and how deep into debt he is, he finds his only option to resolve his problems is death.
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Approximate Word count = 1284
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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