He/ she must occupy a "high" status position but must ALSO embody nobility and virtue as part of his/her innate character (poetics. )” Miller’s intentions to portray Willy as a tragic character is found faulty by most critics in that his characters are “too common” or “too little” to be considered for Aristotle’s requirements. The critics however, are forgetting that Aristotle’s poetics also defines tragedy in which he said, “Plot is the first principle of Tragedy with character being second” (cnr.edu). Aristotle also says, “The hero's downfall, therefore, is partially her/his own fault, the result of free choice, not of accident or villainy or some overriding, malignant fate. Often the character's hamartia
Madi Verschaetse AP Lang & Comp Mr. Smith 11/05/12 Unfortunately, the definition of fame in our society is taking a downward spiral. The best example of this would be the numerous "celebrities" in our culture that half of us have never even heard of. In the essay "Fame-iness" Meghan Daum explicitly pitches her opinion on what fame is and what it has become. Daum satirizes the way people have become famous in our society today. As well as satirizing, Daum exaggerates what her opinion on true fame is as opposed to faux fame.
It also belongs to the common man—in this case the “low man,” as in Willy Loman. Willy’s tragic flaw stems from the fact that he has misinterpreted the American Dream, the belief that one can rise from rags to riches. For Willy, the success of that dream hinges on appearance rather than on substance, on wearing a white collar rather than a blue one. It is this snobbery, combined with a lack of practical knowledge, that leads to his downfall. Indeed, much of the lasting popularity of Death of a Salesman both in the world of the theater and in the canon of English literature, lies in its treatment of multiple themes.
A Hapless Hero Arthur Miller demonstrated in Death of a Salesman that tragic heroism still possible in the modern world, but the tragic hero or tragic heroine should be of noble birth or hold an important social position, be basically virtuous, and desire to do good. However, Wily Loman is not a tragic hero because he is hapless rather than heroic, his personal tragedy that comes from his lack in ability to admit his errors and learn from them. Instead, he fits Miller's description of the pathetic character, one who "by virtue of his witlessness, his insensitivity, or the very air he gives off, is incapable of grappling with a much superior force," (Miller1). The definition of a tragic hero is a condition of life that allows an individual to find the route of self-realization and discover to the fullest extent of his or her capabilities. This insight only occurs when an individual bravely endure the "total examination of the 'unchangeable' environment" (Miller1).
To some, Oedipus is more a subject to his fate than his actions which doesn’t let the character to be flourished as a tragic hero. The concept of “tragic hero” was conceived by Aristotle who gave a model of characterization that must be followed for being a tragic hero. According to Aristotle, the tragic hero must fall through his or her own error, or hamartia. Hamartia is a mistake in judgment committed by a tragic hero that stands for “error” in Greek. Oedipus, as a tragic hero, commits some sinful actions although unintentionally which make him fall from the crest of his nobility.
Prior to this they lived in a big house, sent their four children (John, Clair, Jacob and Joshua) to private schools, and took vacations like families often do. They read bedtime stories to their children before going to bed. Life for Mark and Frederic was as typical as a family would be. Because Frederic now faces deportation, they had to down size. Mark is the sole bread winner now and Frederic stays home and prepares the children for school, packs their lunches and sends them off to school.
“Just an Average Day” Her day began like any other day, rising early to make her husband’s lunch and get him off to work. Then there was a quiet period, a time to sit and have a cup or two of coffee before the two year old awoke and started the harried day. There was a flurry of activities: laundry, feeding the baby, dishes, vacuuming and constantly trying to keep the toddler entertained. Noon arrived, and she wondered where the morning had gone. Suddenly it was time to get lunch ready and feed the baby again.
Arthur Miller begins by criticizing a Aristotle's belief that “someone of the common mold cannot be a true tragic hero.” Arthur Miller sees this an old quote that is no longer relevant due to the fact that Aristotle said this many centuries ago, in a much different world than what we know today. His thesis statement is excellent in that it molds the entire paper, by stating that Aristotle was a genuis, but in his own time; “Things do change, and even a genuis is limited by his time and the nature of his society.” In the next paragraph Miller also justifies Aristotle's logic, with his own “simple logic.” On the grounds of his simple logic, Miller denies Aristotle's contentions only because he lived in a slave society. Miller also make a clear distinction between stature and rank, which according to Miller are often confused. The question of rank is significant only as it reflects the question of the social application of the hero's career. A great exampled used by Miller was that of an opening scene of a movie.
But the answer to the question, as is so often the case, is all in how you ask it. You see, if the question is, can the life and death of a salesman be tragic?, then, of course, the answer is yes it can. Nor does it require that he be a "great" man, but it does require that he be a good man. The problem with trying to imbue this play with the aura of tragedy is not that Willy Loman is a little man, it's that he's not a good man : he's not much of a salesman; he cheats on his wife; he lives vicariously and unfairly through his eldest son, Buck, then makes excuses for that son's pathological misbehavior; he virtually ignores his second son; he's a real bastard to friends, neighbors and extended family; and so on. Perhaps I missed something, but what quality is it in Willy that should make us regret his departure?
“Ordinary people doing whatever they can to change social systems that do not respect human decency, even with the knowledge that they can’t possibly succeed.” –George Orwell. Winston Smith heroism only is a truth when associated to Orwell’s characterization of one. Opposing Orwell’s belief of a hero, to the reader Winston Smith is not commendable in any way, shape, or form and so therefore disappoints the word hero. The reader cannot grasp what Winston’s original goals were but only seem to see his ultimate failures. Orwell’s definition of a hero calls for someone who is ordinary seeking to change society even when knowing they cannot succeed.